


Hostage Of The Mind

by gothclark



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alien Technology, Aliens Make Them Do It, Angst, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Wordcount: 30.000-50.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-17
Updated: 2011-06-17
Packaged: 2017-10-20 12:18:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 45,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/212708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothclark/pseuds/gothclark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Off world, Jack and Daniel become the unwilling participants in a painful experiment. They escape back to Earth, but implants place Jack, Daniel, and the SGC in danger. With the help of their teammates, Daniel and Jack rush to find a solution before someone gets hurt or worse, killed.</p><p>When Jacob Carter's attempt to help fails, the team is forced to take a ha'tak to the planet. Unfortunately, the voyage is long and hazardous, and Jack is slowly losing control over his long-hidden feelings and dangerous craving for Daniel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hostage Of The Mind

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: attempted dub-con/non-con  
> I'd like to thank my two wonderful beta readers, Val and ALEE, who were both patient with me and helped to make this story better. Remaining errors are mine. I'd also like Rose for allowing me to bend her ear and for her suggestions. I'd also like to thank my cheerleader cashay.  
> artwork by danceswithgary and milanthruil.  
> Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 is the property of MGM.

Jack O'Neill sat up with a jolt, reaching around to the back of his head to touch the Kansas-sized lump he now sported. "Ouch, damn it," Jack said, pissed off that someone had managed to get the drop on him and slam him over the head. The last thing he remembered was standing on a balcony, staring up at the night sky, wondering where the Earth was in the constellations above. Now he was alone in a barred cell, and a quick pat down confirmed that he was missing his weapons, radio, and everything else he usually carried in his pockets.

He hoped that Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel had managed to make it to the gate and back to Earth.

"So much for nice friendly aliens," Jack said. He pushed himself up from the dirty floor and dusted his pants off. A sharp pain at the side of his head forced Jack back to his knees and he touched his temple to discover some sort of disc attached to his skin. When he tried to get his nails under it to pry the thing off, it emitted a sharp jolt that sent an electrical shock through his hand and up his arm.

The screech of a metal door opening filled the room, and Jack looked up at the sound of footfalls. One of the aliens - Jack thought his name might be Hedra - approached the cell.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jack asked. He struggled to his feet and leaned against the bars, gripping them to keep from sliding back down to the ground. The pain in his head subsided as he waited for an answer.

"You'll learn soon enough," Hedra said. Two other men approached dragging an unconscious Daniel between them.

Jack lunged at them, thrusting one arm through the bars. Hedra backed away with a smirk.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"Back away or I will hurt your mate," Hedra said. He held a weapon up and pointed it at Daniel's chest. Daniel groaned as though he was about to wake up, but his eyes remained closed and his head lolled forward, chin to his chest.

Jack obeyed, stepping as far back as the cell would allow. Hedra unlocked the cell and the two men pushed Daniel inside. Jack rushed forward to catch Daniel in his arms, and eased him to the floor. They locked the cell door behind Daniel.

Jack shook Daniel and felt a wave of relief when he started to regain consciousness.

"Jack?" Daniel opened his eyes and squinted up at Jack, and that's when Jack realized there was an identical device on Daniel's temple. He leaned in close, holding Daniel's head steady to get a better look at the thing, noting that it was giving off a pulsing red light.

Jack glared up at Hedra, watching the man fiddle with a handheld device, pressing buttons in between glances at Jack and Daniel. Another man joined him. Jack thought his name was Cheep, or Cheese or something like that. Jack noted that the two goons behind them each had weapons and that Hedra had tucked his gun in its holster.

"What took you so long?" Hedra showed the screen of his handheld device to the newcomer.

"I wanted to be sure I wasn't followed," Cheese said.

Jack stumbled to his feet and offered Daniel a hand, pulling him up to stand. He steadied Daniel when it looked like he would fall over. Fighting his own wave of dizziness, Jack yanked them both towards the small bench to sit down.

"This is no way to treat new friends," Jack said.

"Would you tell us what's going on here?" Daniel said, looking up in an appeal to Hedra.

Hedra ignored Daniel and handed the device to Cheese, who continued whatever it was that Hedra had been doing.

"Don't we at least get one phone call?" Jack said.

Goon number one glared at him, holding his weapon up to demonstrate he was not amused.

Daniel leaned forward on the bunk, clutching at his head. Jack felt his own headache coming on, wishing he had a weapon so he could blow a hole in their collective asses.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Daniel said. He flinched as if it hurt to speak and looked up at Jack, contrition in his expression.

"This isn't your fault. These assholes..." Jack punctuated the expletive with a rude gesture directed at the prison warden, "...tricked us. I was fooled by their 'stuck in the dark ages' routine too."

Jack stood and paced the cell, examining every corner and every aspect for any way out, but the thing seemed escape-proof. Gripping the bars in his hands, he shook them to test their strength. "Yup, solid," he muttered, knowing they were stuck waiting for the first opportunity for escape that presented itself. He turned to look at Daniel and found him still bent and clutching at his head. Jack walked to the bench and sat down beside Daniel. His own head still ached.

"I don't know what happened," Daniel said. His voice was low, and Jack could hear the confusion in his tone. "One minute, I was talking with Chassen..." With a shrug, Daniel glanced up at the man who held the device, and Jack made a silent 'O' when he realized that Cheese wasn't the man's name.

"Well, whatever it was, we are going to get out of here and never come back to this sorry place again," said Jack. He reached out and patted Daniel on the shoulder in a show of sympathy, pulling his hand back when Daniel flinched as though Jack's light touch had hurt. Jack glared up at Hedra and Chassen. "Oh, by the way, Hedman," Jack mispronounced his name on purpose, "the deal between our people..." Jack made a slashing motion in the air "...is so over."

Hedra moved a step closer to the cell, his smile chilling as he crossed his arms. "Do you really believe I care about the agreement, interloper?"

"So, I take it your government doesn't know you did this," Jack said. Beside him, Daniel fingered the device on his temple, doubled over with pain, and moaned. Jack wanted to scream with rage. They had hurt Daniel even after Daniel had been kind to them.

Jack jumped up from the bunk and lunged at the smug man, reaching for him through the bars. "When I get my hands on you...."

Hedra jumped away even though he wasn't close enough for Jack to grab but, for a moment, Jack saw fear in the man's eyes and Jack relished it. The two goons stepped forward with their guns raised, and Jack pulled his arms back from the bars, raising them to show he was backing off.

"You did it," Hedra said to Chassen.

Chassen shook his head, looking up from the hand device. "I haven't finished the calibrations yet." He risked a furtive glance at Jack, and Jack could see by the unease in the man's eyes that he was not as into the shenanigans as much as Hedra. Jack hoped he could use that to his advantage.

"Stand back against the wall," Hedra said. His tone was serious, and he gestured for the goons to train the weapons on Jack. They did so with no hesitation, and Jack stood back with his hands up in the air to show that he would comply. Hedra waved at one of the two goons to unlock the cell. When the goon entered the cell, Jack jumped him, landing a good solid punch at the goon's face and knocking aside the weapon he held. The other goon rushed in, clocking Jack in the head with the butt of his weapon.

Jack fell to his knees and bit back a cry of pain when the two goons twisted his arms behind him. Daniel grabbed his head and screamed before rolling off the bunk. Jack struggled with the two goons, trying to get to Daniel.

"Stop!" The two goons released Jack at Hedra's command, and Jack crawled forward to check on Daniel.

"What are you doing to him?" Jack felt his anger build and he turned without thinking to punch the goon closest to him. The man dodged his blow and kicked Jack in the stomach, knocking the wind from him. Jack doubled over in pain and fell forward, Daniel beneath him and unconscious.

"It is only an adjustment period," Chassen said.

"This would proceed much less painfully if you cooperated," Hedra said.

Jack looked up to find Hedra standing over him with a smug look on his face. Goon one and goon two grabbed Jack and yanked him to his knees. Jack fought the pain of the rough handling, concentrating instead on Daniel.

"You won't get away with this," Jack said. The goons pulled him to his feet, and Jack went limp, a dead weight in their arms. Hedra approached, and Jack struggled to get away from the man, but the goons tightened their grips, one of them twisting Jack's arm.

Reaching out, Hedra grabbed Jack by the chin, turning his head to examine the thing on Jack's temple before asking, "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been kidnapped and held against my will," Jack said. He struggled to get out of Hedra's grip, twisting and thrashing.

Hedra released him and took a step back, his intense gaze focused on Jack. "I require your full cooperation for this test."

"Well, tough crap, because you're not gonna get it." Jack glared, going limp again, forcing the two goons to support his full weight.

"Get in here and activate the device," Hedra said, waving Chassen into the cell.

Chassen looked alarmed, but he obeyed the order, walking into the cell with the handheld device extended before him. One of the goons forced Jack to his knees, twisting both his arms behind his head. Jack renewed his struggles, but the grip was too tight. Chassen approached with caution, and Jack proved it was necessary by lunging at the man.

"Didn't I tell you he was the perfect test subject?" Hedra said. Jack could hear the gloating in the man's words and glared up at him.

The other goon bent and held Jack's head in both of his big hands, twisting and tilted it so that Chassen could reach the device on his temple. Jack felt a sharp pain and the device beeped. "Stop whatever it is you're doing," Jack said in his most commanding voice, still struggling to no avail, not released until Chassen stepped back. Agony exploded in Jack's brain, and he fell forward onto his hands and knees and, this time, Jack couldn't hold back the scream. Immobilized by the pain, his vision hazy, he watched helpless as they did the same to Daniel.

One of the goons kicked Jack in the gut as they exited the cell. After they locked the door behind them, Hedra stared in at Jack and Daniel for a few moments, and then they were gone. The pain subsided enough for Jack's vision to clear, although black spots still danced before his eyes, he rolled toward Daniel, who was curled up on the floor, moaning, regaining consciousness.

"Hey, Daniel," Jack said gritting his teeth past the renewed pain in his head. He forced himself to get up then clutched at Daniel's arm to roll him over. The light on the device on Daniel's temple was no longer red and blinked a bright green instead. Whatever the things were, Jack had to guess that Chassen had somehow activated them. Unfortunately, he had no clue what they would do to him and Daniel.

Jack collapsed against Daniel and held on to him. Uncertain, how much time passed while they lay on the floor, Daniel moving in and out of consciousness, Jack vowed that the next person to open that cell would get their face smashed in courtesy of Jack O'Neill.

That plan changed when the next person rushed into the room and said, "We have to be quick." The man eyed Daniel and then Jack, wringing his hands as he shuffled his feet. "They will return soon." Jack had never seen the man before, in spite of his frantic behavior, he seemed to be offering a way out of this place.

Jack helped Daniel to his feet, making sure that he could stand on his own. "We just want to go home," Jack said.

Daniel squinted through watery eyes and said "Frellon." Rubbing his temple, Daniel looked to Jack to explain. "He's the man who showed me the elders' archives."

"Can he be trusted?" Even as Jack asked, Frellon stepped forward and produced the key, unlocked the cell door, and then stepped back. Jack grabbed Daniel and pulled him along, out of the cell.

"Quick! You must go now! Do not delay!" Frellon said.

"What about our weapons? I can't leave them here." Jack checked that Daniel could stand on his own and moved toward Frellon. Even though the guy had helped them, and was still helping them, Jack wanted to strangle him with his bare hands. "What about these things?" Jack pointed at his temple.

"I'm afraid only Hedra has the device that can remove them."

Jack stared at the man, imagining his hands around his throat, squeezing tight until there was no breath left in him. He shook the tempting image from his mind. They had no time for that. They had to leave. "Great. We'll deal with whatever the hell these things are back at the SGC, far away from Hedra and his merry band of goons."

"This way," Frellon said. He motioned for Jack and Daniel to follow him out of the room and into another room across the hallway, where their gear and Jack's weapon lay on a table. Jack snatched everything up, handing Daniel his things and then clipping his P-90 to his lanyard. He didn't have time to make a thorough examination before they followed Frellon out of the building.

"The ring is in that direction," Frellon said, pointing east. It was a few miles away, and the sun would be at their back.

Jack resisted turning his weapon on Frellon and filling him full of holes. Not only had Frellon helped them escape, it would be stupid to announce their position with weapon's fire.

Daniel followed Jack with a nod, and they left the town behind them, moving as fast as they could toward the gate. Jack held his gun up and ready to kill anyone or anything that got in their pathway.

Once they were far enough away from the town that he felt safe, Jack radioed hoping that Carter was still at the gate. There was no answer. Jack set a blistering pace and, after a while, Daniel collapsed against a tree.

"I can't, Jack," said Daniel. He panted with exertion, clutching at his side.

"You have to," Jack said, feeling rage at their situation. He grabbed Daniel by his jacket and yanked him to his feet. "Move it. We don't stop until we're through that gate, and then we come back and kill every last one of these insane bastards."

Daniel's eyes went wide at Jack's words, but he moved, stumbling once and then following Jack through the trees. The gate was just beyond a dense thicket, and Jack ignored the stitch in his side, pushing himself hard, desperate to get away from the crazy people and their stupid world.

"You were just joking back there. Right, Jack?" Daniel caught up to Jack, taking two steps for each of Jack's strides. "Right?"

Jack stopped just on the edge of the woods. They were almost at the stargate. "They violated our trust, Daniel." Jack wanted to grab him by the collar and shake some sense into him. Daniel was too trusting, and Jack didn't want to hear him defend the assholes. He stared Daniel down until Daniel glanced away.

"I know," Daniel said with a helpless shrug.

"Look, let's just get home and report back to Hammond," Jack said. He placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder and squeezed. "He's gonna be pissed that this mission went south."

Daniel trudged beside Jack, head hung low. Jack knew he should have taken the time to say that it wasn't Daniel's fault and that sometimes things just didn't work out, but Jack only wanted to get home, take a hot shower, and wash away his rage. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the DHD and the unguarded gate. The MALP was gone. Carter had obeyed his order and taken the thing back to the base.

Daniel dialed their home address while Jack watched his back, but no one approached or tried to stop them. It looked as if they were going to get to go home. They walked through the wormhole and out the other end. The rattle of the metal ramp under their boots was music to Jack's ears.

The second the wormhole behind them disengaged, Jack's head exploded with pain and he doubled over and then fell to the floor. He could hear excited voices around him, but the words were all garbled. With a groan, Jack rolled onto his back, and then the world went black.

* * *

Disoriented and groggy, Daniel awoke, his head throbbing in agony. He shot up to a sitting position, his heart pounding in his chest and his throat as dry as sand. Panicking, he scanned the room with wide eyes.

"Lay back down, Daniel," Janet said.

Jack lay unconscious in a bed a few feet away. He was sure it was Jack even without his glasses to see clearly. They'd made it home through the gate. Jack had seen to that. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, and then he saw the dim blur of a green light made wider by his poor vision. Daniel felt a stab of guilt in his chest. Jack had been compromised, and it was all Daniel's fault.

Janet placed a gentle hand on Daniel's chest and urged him to settle back. Daniel obeyed and he could feel his heart rate calming at Janet's soothing words, the noises of the SGC infirmary a comfort. Sam and Teal'c stood a few feet from the bed alive and unharmed.

"You made it back okay," Daniel said. He relaxed against the bed, glancing over at Jack and then back to Sam and Teal'c. Sam moved in closer, placing a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"We're fine," Sam said. She squeezed Daniel's shoulder and smiled.

Daniel took a deep breath, trying to relax, but a feeling of anxiety filled his chest. The memory of P3X 933 came rushing back. He recalled the feeling of triumph that once again he'd won over another race. The knowledge that the people of that world were civilized and willing to share their wealth had left Daniel filled with warmth.

Then Hedra had betrayed them, and it had all fallen to pieces.

Daniel closed his eyes and wished the memories away. The pounding in his head grew until it hurt to think, and he tried rubbing his eye with one fist without any relief from the pain. When he licked his dry lips, Sam handed him a cup of water. Sipping through the straw, he offered up a feeble smile, and then he laid his head back down and glanced at Jack, who remained unconscious.

Sam didn't waste any time, asking, "What happened after we left you and the colonel?"

"Jack and I were ambushed and experimented on by Hedra," Daniel said. He cringed at the agonizing memory and the throbbing in his head increased.

"The scientist who showed us their labs?" Sam asked with wide, incredulous eyes.

Daniel nodded and waited for the pain to subside a bit before continuing.

"As near as we can tell," Daniel said, gesturing toward his head as he fought off anger, "He wanted to test whatever these things are on a live subject. I don't think that his government knew anything about this." Daniel knew he was leaving key points out, but the pain was becoming unbearable. Curling up, he turned in Jack's direction, noting that his anxiety seemed to subside whenever he concentrated on Jack. He focused on Jack now, and the pain subsided to a low hum just behind his eyes, but it felt like an itch he couldn't scratch.

Janet examined the device, placing a hand on Daniel's head, urging him to move so that she could get a better look. "Okay, Daniel," Janet said. "I'm going to try to remove it."

Daniel couldn't see her from his angle, but he nodded and stilled when she placed a hand on the top of his head and brushed fingers across the device. She took her time, getting a feel of the apparatus, wrapping her small fingers around the edges. She took a deep breath and gave it a gentle pull. Searing pain shot through Daniel, and he screamed in agony. The moment Janet released the device and jumped back, the pain eased, although it was still intense.

"I am so sorry, Daniel," Janet said.

Daniel shook his bowed head. He clutched at his temples, but the throbbing pain remained. He took deep breaths to calm himself. Daniel stared at Jack's unconscious form, wishing Jack would wake up. He frowned and he speculated on whether it was possible that the disk was somehow reason for his anxiety toward Jack. They'd had no time to find out what the devices did before leaving the planet. Daniel needed more information before he could formulate a theory.

Daniel smacked his palm against his forehead, his guilt returning in full force. "God, I am so naïve," Daniel said, slamming his palms against his head again, hoping that if he pounded long enough, some common sense would settle inside it. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"Daniel," Sam said. She grabbed his hand and stopped his next thump, and Daniel looked up through a myopic blur. When she leaned in closer, he could see the empathy in her eyes. Daniel fought the anger, bitterness, and threat of tears, and tipped sideways to rest his aching head against Sam's welcoming shoulder.

"We should get you to the lab for a scan," Janet said.

"I will go with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, speaking up for the first time since Daniel had woken.

Daniel nodded and pulled away from Sam, overcome by a sense of shame. He could feel a tear on his cheek and he tried to swipe the evidence of his weakness away before anyone else saw it. He hoped that he'd succeed, but at least Jack hadn't seen anything. Daniel remained warred with worry, as Jack's continued non-responsiveness was the reason for his preserved dignity.

Composing himself, Daniel climbed off the bed, taking his glasses from Sam and slipping them on. The world came into focus and, as always, Daniel felt a sense of relief. He walked to Jack's bed, stopping at his side and with his improved vision. He noticed that even though Jack was unconscious, there was tension furrowing his brow. His back to everyone else, Daniel reached out and touched Jack's cheek. The anxious feeling that had been skittering along his nerves stopped the instant their skin made contact.

"Come on, Daniel," Sam said. She placed a gentle touch on his shoulder.

Daniel dropped his hand and turned to follow Sam out of the infirmary to the labs, which were a few doors down the hall. Teal'c walked behind them with Janet at his side, everyone silent during the short trip. Though he wore hospital scrubs, Daniel felt naked under his friends' scrutiny, and he wrapped his arms around his chest and shivered. The pain and anxiety built with each step he took, but Daniel fought it, clenching his teeth and willing the symptoms away.

Once they were in the lab, Janet motioned for him to sit, placing a hand on his shoulder as she gave him a comforting smile.

"This won't take long," Janet said.

He sat down, took a deep breath, and waited while Janet did her job. The tests seemed to take forever, Daniel's uneasy feeling growing with each second that passed. Daniel concentrated on Teal'c, stared at his chest, wondering how Junior was doing today. When that didn't help relieve his mind of his anxiety, he tapped his foot in an uneven rhythm.

Janet paused in her work and stared down at Daniel. "Is everything okay, Daniel?"

Daniel nodded and glanced around the room, then returned his attention to Janet. "Are you going to be much longer?"

"Nope," Janet said. "This should be over soon." She urged him to stand and led him to another chair where she focused a large device attached to the ceiling on his temple. "I just need to take some scans for Sam so she can examine...." She trailed off and the scanner clicked a few times. Janet pushed the scanner away and set a heavy lead-filled protective shield on Daniel's shoulder and chest. "Last test, I promise. Please stay as still as you can. I don't want to have to take the x-ray again."

Daniel crushed all urges to move and closed his eyes. Once Janet finished the x-ray and removed the protective shield, she nodded at him to indicate that it was over. He stood from the chair and rubbed at the device. It itched and burned, though it wasn't hot to his touch, and he was certain that the burning sensation was just a figment of his imagination. The only thing he knew for sure was that he needed to see Jack again and he needed Jack to be okay.

Janet picked up a clipboard, attached a few sheets of paper, and nodded to a technician before motioning to the exit. "We're done."

They left the room together, and it was none too soon for Daniel. He never liked undergoing Janet's tests, he was tired, and the thought that he might have to stay in the infirmary for the night only added to his exhaustion.

* * *

Someone was urging Jack to wake up. He pushed the annoying voice aside and continued to embrace the darkness, until the sound of a beep grew louder, too loud to ignore.

Cracking open an eye, Jack groaned when he realized that he was in the SGC infirmary. The hard bed beneath him only confirmed that conclusion. When the last thing he remembered finally floated to the surface of his fuzzy mind, Jack shot up to a sitting position.

He was alone in the infirmary.

"Daniel!" Jack clawed at the IV in his arm, scrambling to get out of the bed.

"Sir," Carter said. She appeared at the foot of his bed, holding up her hand to get his attention. "Daniel is fine, but you need to lie back down."

"Where is he?" Jack bent over when searing pain filled his head. He clawed at his temple, furious when he discovered the device still in place. "Why the hell haven't you removed this thing?"

"We can't, sir," Carter said, her expression filled with regret. "Until we know more about them, we don't want to risk harming you or Daniel." She placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, and Jack shrugged it off irritated by her touch.

"What do you mean you can't? You have to get them off." Jack felt a wave of distress course through him, as if he'd forgotten something crucial, but he couldn't think of what that could be, other than the need to see Daniel to know that he was okay.

He also wanted to go back through the gate and strangle someone, anyone - Hedra and the cheese guy would do for starters.

Jack scratched at his temple. The area around the device itched like a son of a bitch and just got worse the more Jack scratched.

"A few hours after you returned, we tried dialing the planet. We couldn't connect," Carter said.

Daniel, Janet, and Teal'c came into the room at that moment, and Jack felt the anxious feeling inside him subside.

"Daniel," Jack said. He resisted the urge to jump from the bed and go to Daniel since Jack could see for himself that he was fine. Jack knew he should be calm, but the urge to strangle someone was still there. His mind was a mess, calm one moment and then filled with rage the next. Folding his arms, Jack quashed the urge and pretended everything was okay.

Daniel offered a halfhearted wave and smile in Jack's direction and, though he was walking on his own, his movements were slow. He climbed into the bed beside Jack's and lay back with a sigh. When Daniel turned his head, Jack noted that the device on his temple still blinked green.

"Well, the good news is, whatever those things are attached to you, they don't seem to be interfering with your everyday functions," Janet said. She crossed her arms around a medical chart, holding it against her chest.

"What's the bad news, Doc?" Jack asked. He sat up straighter in the bed, his gaze still focused on Daniel.

"The bad news is that we still don't know what exactly they're supposed to do." Janet sighed. "I'm afraid that, until we can remove the devices, you're both off active duty and confined to base."

Jack laid his head back and tried not to rage at the realization that they couldn't dial back to ask for help, and that his own people were useless. He felt a wave of calm wash over him for a moment, but then the rage returned. Fucking great.

"These devices seem to have embedded themselves a few inches into your hypothalamus and thalamus," Janet began to explain.

Jack tuned her out and turned his head to watch Daniel. He lay on his side, facing Jack with his eyes closed. His body language spoke volumes. Jack knew Daniel was feeling a butt-load of guilt right about now.

"Don't you dare," Jack said. He sat up and pointed a finger at Daniel.

"I'm sorry, Colonel," Janet said. "I was just trying to explain."

"Not you," Jack said. His tone came out harsher than he meant it to be. "I know you feel like this is all your fault, Daniel, but it's not."

"How'd you know what I was thinking?" Daniel propped himself up on one elbow, and narrowed his eyes at Jack.

"Because I know you," Jack said. He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "You think everything is your fault."

"No, I don't," Daniel said.

"Do too."

"Not." Daniel crossed his arms and pouted at Jack.

Jack looked up at Janet and Carter, remembering that they were still in the room. Their twin expressions of frustration made Jack want to smirk at them, but he resisted and crossed his arms, glaring at Daniel instead.

"Both of you get some rest. That's an order." Janet turned her back on Jack with a shake of her head, and examined the medical chart she had in her hand.

"Do too," said Jack one last time, leaning toward Daniel.

"I guess I'll get to work on figuring this technology out," Carter said with an incredulous look on her face at Jack's behavior.

"I sent the scans to your computer," Janet said.

"Let's hope they shed some light on what we're dealing with," Carter said.

Jack nodded at her. "I have faith in you, Carter."

"Until we do, I want both of you," Janet said, pointing a finger at Jack and then Daniel, "to report anything unusual no matter how insignificant it seems to you."

"My tongue does feel kind of dry," Jack said, sticking it out then smacking his lips a few times.

Janet's glare sobered Jack, and he shrugged his shoulders at her.

"Since neither of you pose a danger to anyone else, you're both free to go," Janet said. "But I insist that you be sure to get some rest." Janet eyed Daniel.

Carter left without another word.

Daniel climbed from the bed and sighed, but he didn't say anything. Jack disliked the infirmary with a passion and was glad that they could leave. Even if they had to remain on base, at least they didn't have to stay confined to one room that smelled of antiseptic and other medical-type stuff. Daniel threw a hopeful look over his shoulder at Jack and walked out of the infirmary. Jack felt a surge of panic wash over him when Daniel turned the corner.

Even though Daniel had only been out of Jack's sight for seconds, Jack felt an overwhelming desire to find him. He fought the urge because he knew Hammond was waiting. His report was way overdue, and Hammond would want to know what went down on the planet. Jack also wanted to check on Carter's progress. The sooner they got the blinking things off, the better for all involved.

After a much-needed shower and some fresh clothes, Jack headed straight to Hammond's office. The general was on the phone so Jack waited outside the door. He gazed at the inactive gate, watching the plumes of smoke rise from the cooling system, rubbing at his temple, his fingers brushing against the metal device. He felt tired all of a sudden and, as Hammond exited his office, Jack covered his mouth and yawned.

"You okay, Jack?" Hammond stopped in front of Jack, worry written in his expression.

Jack brushed away the general's concern with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm good, sir. I wanted to report what happened on P3X 933." Jack furrowed his brows, amazed that he'd remembered the planet's call number. While Jack told the general everything he knew, he rubbed his temple, and the back of his neck, feeling another headache coming on. He also had the same feeling of panic that he'd gotten back in the infirmary and it was growing with each passing moment.

"Unfortunately, we still have not been able to dial out to the planet," Hammond said. "We have our best team of scientists working on figuring out how to remove those things."

"Swell," Jack said. The sense of panic squeezed his chest, making it hard to breathe, and Jack turned away from Hammond and toward the exit. He needed to find Daniel and he couldn't wait any longer.

"Jack, are you sure you're feeling well?"

"Yeah, I'm good. See you later, sir." Jack walked past Hammond and out the door. He felt as though something was tugging him along, an instinct telling him where he needed to be. He ignored the people around him and didn't return their greetings. There was no time for chitchat; he had to get to his destination.

Jack halted outside Daniel's office, peering into the darkened room. The overhead lights were out but, from the light of a desk lamp, he could see Daniel sitting at his desk with his head resting on his arms. His glasses lay at his elbow and he looked fast asleep, slouched and ready to slide from his perch.

Daniel didn't look like he was in danger, but the sense that Jack needed to be there was almost overwhelming. Jack was sure this was one of those freaky things that the doctor wanted him to report. However, maybe it was just his usual over-protectiveness when it came to Daniel. Things had gotten hairy back on P3X 933. Jack couldn't shake the eerie sense that it could have gone a whole lot worse.

Jack walked over to the desk and reached out to touch Daniel's head, but then withdrew his hand. He didn't want to wake Daniel, but his sleeping arrangement couldn't be comfortable, and Jack felt a sudden pang of empathy for Daniel. Their last mission had kicked him in the teeth but good, and maybe they would come out of it fine, but they still didn't know if the doohickeys on their temples posed a danger to them. Knowing their track record, Jack was willing to bet the danger was had only just begun.

Daniel mumbled something in his sleep and shot up in his seat, his eyes wide open. He blinked in confusion, and Jack mused at how adorable Daniel looked when he first woke.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Jack said. He stuffed his hands in his pant pockets and resisted the urge to ruffle Daniel's hair. It was bad enough that he'd actually thought that Daniel was _adorable_ ; he wasn't going to add to the weirdness.

Daniel blinked up at Jack, and reached out without looking down at his desk for his glasses. He slid them on his face and blinked again up at Jack. A wave of guilt washed over Jack, though he wasn't quite sure why he felt guilty. He wasn't all that upset about waking Daniel since it meant Jack could talk him into moving to an actual bed, so he could get some real sleep. When Jack considered whether he felt guilty about watching Daniel sleep, he shook his head, knowing that wasn't the problem. He decided to ignore the feeling and brushed it aside.

"How long were you standing there?" Daniel asked. Jack sensed a hint of accusation in his tone.

"I just got here," Jack said, waving a hand at the door.

Daniel blinked up at him in confusion. "Why are you here?" Daniel seemed tense and Jack decided to do something about it.

"Are you hungry?" Jack said. He tilted his head and motioned at the doorway again. "I thought maybe we could get something to eat. Together."

"Sure," Daniel said. He shrugged his shoulders and stood, glancing around the room. Jack thought he was probably checking to see if he had urgent work that needed doing instead of eating – but it seemed he didn't so they left Daniel's office and headed for the elevator.

Once inside, Jack stood behind Daniel, staring at the back of his head. He noticed Daniel's jacket collar was askew and reached out to straighten it, his fingers brushing up Daniel's neck against the short hairs. Jack's fingers tingled at the touch and he withdrew his hand, feeling sheepish. Daniel was a grown man and he could adjust his own collar.

Daniel rolled his shoulder and turned around, a look of confusion in his eyes.

"Your thingy was..." Jack said, pointing at the now straight collar, and then at his own neck, "...it needed to get straightened out."

Daniel narrowed his eyes and stared at Jack, still looking puzzled. His glasses slipped down his nose and, without thinking, Jack reached out and pushed them up until they were sitting straight. Daniel turned away with his head lowered, cleared his throat, and scratched his ear. Just then, the doors slid open on their level, and Daniel hurried out of the elevator ahead of Jack.

They entered the mess, picked up trays, and stood in line behind a few other people. Jack remembered one of them from flight training and nodded a greeting. He slid his tray along and stared at that day's tasty selection. He wasn't sure what he was in the mood to eat, but he reached for a sandwich at the same time as Daniel. Instead of grabbing the sandwich, Jack grabbed Daniel's hand, withdrawing with a jerk when he felt a small shock.

"Sorry," Daniel said. "Did you want that?" Daniel picked up the sandwich and held it out for Jack as if he hadn't felt anything.

Jack shook his head. "It's all yours."

Daniel placed the sandwich on his tray and moved down the line that they were holding up. Jack moved with him, looking down and realizing that he still hadn't put anything on his tray. He reached for a fruit cup and spotted chocolate pudding. Jack added two pudding cups to his tray and topped his choices off with a carton of milk. At the last moment, right before he left the line, he reached out for a sandwich and added that as well.

He followed Daniel to a table and they sat down to eat. Jack ate the pudding cups first, realizing that he was hungrier than he'd thought. He raised his head to see Daniel watching him with his mouth gaping open, although he quickly closed it and looked down at his tray instead of at Jack.

"Has Carter managed to make any progress on figuring out what these things are?" Jack leaned back in his seat and glanced around the mess. No one was watching them, though he felt as if someone's eyes were on him. He peeked over his shoulder at the camera in the top corner of the room, not convinced it was responsible for the feeling.

"I'm not sure she's had enough time to analyze the data," Daniel said. He removed the plastic wrap from his sandwich, setting half down and raising the other to take a big bite.

Jack eyed the half that Daniel had set down, licking his lips.

"We could check in on her after we eat," Jack said still eyeing the sandwich. It looked so good and Jack eyed his empty pudding cups. He glanced up and watched Daniel close his eyes and lick his lips while he chewed. "That looks really good."

Daniel swallowed and opened his eyes, his gaze going from his sandwich to Jack. "Did you want the other half?"

"Well," Jack said. He reached for the sandwich and took it from Daniel's tray. Jack wolfed it down and licked the mayo from his fingers. He stopped and stared at Daniel who sat watching him with narrowed eyes.

"I was about to suggest you get your own," Daniel said.

"Sorry. It just looked so good and besides...." Jack leaned back and pointed at the sandwich on his tray. "Guess now you can have half of mine," he said with raised brows and a grin.

Daniel declined the offer and they finished the rest of their meal in silence, then they left the commissary, heading for Carter's lab. Jack held his arm across the elevator door and motioned for Daniel to step inside. When Daniel chose to lean against the back of the elevator with Jack in front of him, Jack reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, the hairs prickling as if he felt a chill. He exaggerated his shudder and turned to glance at Daniel.

"You feel anything strange?"

Daniel shook his head. "Nope." The doors opened at that moment, and they exited, walking around the corner to stop in front of Carter's lab. Jack followed Daniel inside, eager to find out of she'd had any success. Carter sat at her computer, busy tapping away at the keyboard, but she raised her head and smiled when they entered.

"Anything to report?" Jack stopped in front of her desk and glanced around the room. It looked like a disorganized mess to him with gadgets scattered all over the place, most of which Jack had no idea of their functions. He tapped his fingers on the desk and nudged a round metal object, wondering if it was something useful or another dud.

Daniel walked around to stand behind Carter, offering up a warm smile. Jack felt another shudder course through him at seeing the warmth in Daniel's smile. The lab was too exposed. It would be easy to just slide in behind Carter and take her out with a single blow to her skull. Jack shook his head, turned his back to Carter, and blinked down at the floor trying to banish the gruesome image he'd summoned.

"Nothing yet, sir," Carter said. "How about you two, sir? Have either of you felt anything strange or out of the ordinary?"

"No," Jack and Daniel said at the same time.

Jack waved his hand in the air. "Isn't it possible that they don't do anything at all? Hedra seemed kind of upset with my reaction when they activated the thing."

Carter widened her eyes. "Why haven't you said something about that before?" She bent her head to concentrate on her monitor.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't think it was important."

"It may not be," said Carter with her full attention on what she was reading.

Jack eyed Daniel and they both backed away from her desk. "We should leave you to your work," Daniel said.

Carter nodded and tapped at her keys. Jack followed Daniel out of the room, tucking a hand in his pants pockets as they walked down the corridor in step. Daniel walked beside him lost in thought. Jack noted that he fiddled with a button on his jacket, and watched Daniel twirl his fingers while they waited for the elevator.

Jack followed Daniel inside, deciding it was time to check on the progress of dialing back to P3X 933, and pressed the button for the gate room level.

"What if Sam can't figure out what these things are and how to get them off?" Daniel said. He lifted his gaze to look at Jack, his glasses sliding down his nose.

Jack began to reach out to push them back again, but then changed direction to scratch behind his ear instead. Daniel stared at him a beat longer and took a deep breath as if to say something more.

"She'll figure it out. That's what she does," Jack said, waving his hand in the air. He shoved the hand back inside his pants pocket and rocked on his heels.

Daniel pushed the errant glasses up his nose and took another deep breath. "But what if she doesn't."

"She'll probably pry them off with a crowbar if she has to," Jack said. He could feel his irritation rising at Daniel's persistent questions. Jack raised a warning finger at Daniel before he could ask another one.

The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Jack marched out and around the corner without needing to see if Daniel was following. He knew Daniel well enough to know that Daniel was right behind him. Jack halted in his tracks and spun around on his heels and he was right. Daniel was two steps behind him, bringing his arms up in surprise at Jack's sudden change in direction.

"It's all going to work out, Daniel," Jack said. He slapped a hand on Daniel's shoulder, gave it a good solid squeeze, and then he shook Daniel and gave him another squeeze because it felt like the thing to do.

"But..."

"But nothing," Jack said. He was reluctant to release his hold on Daniel. For a brief moment, he'd been filled with warmth and serenity, but the feeling faded when they broke contact, replaced with frustration. "After we check on the gate, I want you to get some real sleep in a real bed."

"I am feeling kind of tired, but there's so much to do," Daniel said, lowering his head.

"If I have to make that an order...." Jack tapped Daniel on his chest. When Daniel didn't reply, Jack took that as acquiescence.

The trip downstairs turned out to be a waste of time. They still couldn't dial out to P3X 933. After escorting Daniel to his private on-base quarters, Jack knew he should follow his own advice and get some sleep, but he felt too restless. He decided it would be a good time to catch up on some of the piles of paperwork that seemed to grow every time he turned his back. The moment he sat down at his desk, though, Jack yawned wide enough to crack his jaw. He kept going, but after the fifth yawn, Jack decided it was time to call it a night. He checked his watch, surprised to find that more than a few hours had passed and it was almost 2100 hours.

Jack stretched and yawned again, examining the smaller stack of paperwork. He'd managed to get through a fair amount, and yet if asked, he couldn't tell what that work had been. His mind had been on other things, like the fact that, no matter how hard he tried to push it to the back of his brain, the anxious feeling he'd been experiencing since returning from P3X 933 remained a constant low-level buzz in his ear. He was aware that he should have gone straight to Janet and reported the problem, but decided that he could do that after he'd gotten some sleep.

Jack yawned again as he made his way to level twenty-five. He leaned against the wall of the elevator, a sudden wave of panic hitting him like a ton of bricks. Jack shook his head, touching a hand to the device on his temple. It felt hot to the touch, and he peered at his distorted reflection in the metal panel, trying to see if something had changed. It had. The green light was blinking faster.

 _Maybe a trip to the infirmary couldn't wait._

When Jack reached out and pressed the button for the infirmary level, the anxiety returned tenfold. He doubled over with it and then a sudden wave of concern that Daniel was in danger overrode all other thoughts. He pressed for Daniel's level and rushed from the elevator the moment the doors slid open. His security card overrode the lock on Daniel's door and Jack slipped into the darkened room. The door clicked shut behind him, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Daniel sound asleep on his bed.

The sudden silence in the room after the panic of rushing through the SGC corridors was disquieting. Jack felt foolish, seeing that Daniel was just fine. He was in no danger in what should be the safest place on Earth. Moving to a chair, Jack sat down, scrubbing his face with a hand, then he reached out and clicked on the bedside lap, illuminating the room enough to see that he hadn't woken Daniel and glad he hadn't.

Jack stood and moved to the small bathroom, flicking the overhead light on. When he turned his head and stared at his reflection in the small mirror over the sink, the blinking on the device seemed to have slowed. He wondered if he could have imagined the whole thing of if that was what the thing was supposed to do: instill fear in the person wearing it. Undermining the enemy might be one of the many uses of such a device.

As he stood there speculating, he felt a low-level anxiety return, so he moved back into the room to be closer to Daniel. Jack stared down at the sleeping man, wondering if he should wake him after all then deciding that it could wait.

He sat down on the chair again and shifted a few times to try to get more comfortable, and then he stared over at the large bed. Daniel was stretched out on the left side, leaving the right side free, and it looked much more inviting than the uncomfortable chair. Jack knew only too well just how little sleep he would get if he tried to stay in the chair, but he couldn't make himself leave.

After a few minutes, he stood and walked over to the bed to settle down on it, taking care not to disturb Daniel. Jack sighed with relief at the feel of a real pillow underneath his head, and he tucked a hand under it and wiggled his fingers, enjoying the sensation.

A warm feeling enveloped him and it didn't take long for Jack to drift into a light doze. Although he was beyond exhausted, he only managed to drift in and out of sleep. Visions of the locked jail cell and the desire to wrap his hands around someone's soft neck just to hear the snap filled his dreams.

Jack reached out and touched something soft and inviting, wrapped his arms around the warmth. He could feel a heartbeat under his cheek and a breeze against his temple and the sensations were making him semi-hard. Smiling, Jack slid his hand between his legs to press his palm against his dick. He rubbed himself and hummed, still drifting between sleep and waking.

In his dream, Jack was hard, harder than he'd been in a long time. He felt his body falling, but someone or something held him close, whispering words of assurance into his ear. The words ghosted through his mind, and Jack shivered and moaned with pleasure. Strong hands stroked and petted him, and Jack arched his back, rubbing against a faceless someone. He hadn't had a dream so hot since he couldn't remember when and he didn't care why that had changed. He pushed against the warmth and his dick pulsed with pleasure, and then he was suddenly, unpleasantly, awake.

Jack opened his eyes, jarred from his warm thoughts, to find he was still in Daniel's room, on Daniel's bed, holding Daniel in his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying it was just some crazy dream and that Daniel was still asleep.

"Jack," Daniel said.

 _Fuck._

Jack opened his eyes again, and blinked. Then he rolled away from Daniel and off the bed, landing on his hands and knees, hitting the floor hard and jarring his left knee. He eased himself down the rest of the way and rested his cheek against his forearm, his ass still in the air.

"Are you okay?" came Daniel's worried voice from above him, and Jack turned his head enough to see Daniel peeking down over the edge of the bed at him.

Jack was sure that he was anything but okay. He was still hard, his mind was still racing with the memory of the warmth and feel of Daniel in his arms, and he wanted to know what the fuck all that was.

"Yup," Jack said with a wave of his free hand. "Just peachy." Jack shifted, carefully extending his leg to test his sore knee.

"Jack," Daniel said then paused.

Jack thumped his head against his arm and groaned. It was going to be hard to explain and, speaking of hard, Jack didn't really want to go there. He shifted his leg again, and then stopped because the movement was having an unintentional effect.

"Can I ask you a question?" Daniel's voice sounded closer, and Jack risked a glance to find him leaning further over the edge of the bed.

"Sure, Daniel, knock your self out." Jack scrubbed a hand over his face, and blinked the sleep from his eyes.

"Why were you asleep on my bed?"

Jack couldn't think of an excuse that would make any sort of sense. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," Jack said with a shrug of one shoulder, looking away from Daniel's curious gaze.

The bed creaked and Jack glanced up. Daniel was gone. He took the opportunity to sit up, nice and easy. His knee still ached and Jack rubbed the sore spot, flinching at the pain. He turned his head enough to see that the door to the bathroom was open wider. Jack grabbed hold of the bed and hoisted himself up to sit down on the edge of the bed and wait, even though he wanted to leave without discussing why he'd crawled into Daniel's bed.

Daniel came back into the room and sat down on the opposite side of the bed with his back to Jack.

"I was worried about you and I couldn't sleep," Jack said, after waiting a minute of two for Daniel to speak. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and hands dangling between his legs, his previous state of arousal vanishing under the strain of speech. Jack tapped his foot against the carpet, and then he grabbed his bouncing knee with one hand and squeezed tight in an attempt to conceal his anxiety.

When Daniel didn't say anything, Jack turned his head and risked a glance over his shoulder. He had no idea how he was supposed to put what he was feeling into words that didn't sound...gay.

 _How about trying 'I swear I wasn't trying to cop a feel while you slept.' Yeah, that one might work._

Jack knew one thing for curtain, whenever they were apart, Jack felt a level of panic about Daniel that he couldn't explain. It had to be the influence of the device because, even though his normal instinct was to protect Daniel, the feeling wasn't usually so intense.

The longer Daniel remained silent, the more embarrassed Jack became. He knew he needed to get out of there before he said something real stupid. Daniel was fine, and Jack's overprotective attitude toward Daniel would just piss Daniel off. Clearing his throat, Jack stood up on shaky legs, favoring his tender knee. "I should go." He pointed at his knee as if it explained everything and then headed for the door without looking back at Daniel, who still hadn't said a word beyond simple questions.

Jack limped from the room and breathed a sigh of relief when Daniel didn't try to stop him or ask Jack to stay and explain in detail what the hell had just happened. He needed to get out of here before he said or did something else that would make the situation even more awkward, if that were possible.

Hobbling the few doors down to his private quarters, Jack walked inside, closed the door, flipped the lock, and leaned against the door with a heavy sigh. He stayed in the dark, remembering Daniel's warmth.

 _It was just a dream, nothing more._

Jack shook the memory from his mind and walked to the bathroom, flipping on the light and then turning on the water in the shower. Stripping in front of the mirror, Jack paused to stare at his tired reflection. He still felt the sensation of Daniel's body against his and the low-level anxiety had returned in full force. When he noticed the device on his temple blinking green with a steady pulse, Jack looked at his watch and began to count the beats, stopping at sixty seconds. Nodding at the total, Jack made a mental note to let Carter know the device had blinked thirty times in one minute.

Looking at his own reflection, Jack ran a hand over his short-cropped hair, making another mental note to get it cut in the next few days. He hated it when his hair got too long. Turning his head left and then right, he examined his temples, wondering if his hair was getting grayer.

"Broken down old war horse," Jack said. His frowning reflection mouthed the words back at him.

Jack stepped into the shower and stood beneath the near-scalding spray, letting the water pelt his aching shoulders and back. He smoothed one hand down his hairy chest, settling at his hip and brushing his thumb over his pubic hair, absently wondering if Daniel had gone back to sleep. He hadn't followed Jack out of his room and he hadn't said a word to Jack about the 'snuggling' incident. Jack cringed at the thought, although his arousal when he'd pressed up against Daniel and the warmth he'd felt at Daniel's touch was undeniable.

His dick started to get hard as he remembered, and Jack groaned and closed his eyes, thinking how he always left this sort of activity for home. The SGC wasn't the place for getting off, but Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd jerked off, and his dick was aching.

Jack opened his eyes wide then pressed one hand against the cold, wet tile and leaned, the shower spraying his butt. The hot needles of water felt good and sent a tingle through him, straight to his hard dick. Jack took it in his free hand and stroked the length, closing his eyes as he gave in to pleasure. He muttered an apology as he imagined Daniel beneath him, their bodies pressed close. Arousal mingled with the confusing spikes of Daniel-centered anxiety that had been plaguing him all night, and his dick pulsed as Jack sped up the strokes, eager to finish fast.

Jack bit his bottom lip and behind his tight-shut eyelids, he could see Daniel sound asleep, his long pale lashes against his cheeks and his mind filled with dreams that didn't include Jack. He imagined pushing Daniel down against the bed and holding him. Daniel was so warm and inviting, the scent of his clean hair a teasing sense memory. Jack's hand sped up as the images flashed through his brain and he tensed and moaned with each stroke.

Daniel had felt good in Jack's arms - warm and solid and safe. Jack's balls tightened as he relived those moments, and he worked his dick almost frantically to reach the climax he was so desperate to achieve.

Biting down on his bottom lip, Jack came harder than he had in a long time. He opened his eyes and stared down at his traitorous body. He still held his now spent dick in his hand and, Jack relaxed his tensed muscles, pressed his forehead against his forearm and groaned.

He'd just jerked off to thoughts of Daniel.

"Fuck."

* * *

Daniel stared at his reflection in the mirror, still trying to make sense of what had happened. He'd been having a nightmare. The horrifying memory of being chased, and trapped, and unable to escape had filled his dreams.

Then he'd woken to find Jack in his bed, Jack's arms tight around Daniel, and Daniel was almost sure that Jack had been humming in contentment, and then...

Jack had run from the room so fast that there'd been no time for Daniel to explain how much better and safer he felt when Jack was near. Daniel took a deep breath, no longer certain about what he remembered, thinking there was just no way – Jack was Jack and it could never have happened. Daniel crushed his wayward thoughts and turned the cold water on, splashing his face twice before staring up at his reflection again. He spun and leaned against the counter, gripping the edges as he stared into his dark room and at his empty bed, knowing that he had to get some sleep. The dreams he'd been having had ramped up his anxiety levels until he was exhausted.

Whether or not it was the device playing with his mind, Daniel did know that he didn't want to be awake any longer. He thought about calling Janet and asking for something to help him sleep, but instead he stripped down to nothing but boxers and climbed back into the cold empty bed. The crushing feeling of loneliness that he always got just before he went to sleep overwhelmed him. Daniel wrapped his arms around his chest and took deep calming breaths.

 _Jack had been in his bed._

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and remembered the feel, the warmth of Jack pressed up against him. He couldn't be certain, but he thought that he'd been touching Jack in his sleep. He supposed he could have asked Jack, but then realized he had no idea how to broach a subject like that without Jack exploding or shutting him down; either option was unacceptable.

In any case, Jack knew he couldn't have been holding him. The very idea was crazy. The device had to be messing with his mind. Daniel was suddenly sure of that and that he should probably go to the infirmary and tell Janet that he thought the device scrambled your mind so that you couldn't think straight.

The next moment, Daniel laughed because the whole situation was ridiculous. He opened his eyes and checked the room, uncertain of what he expected to find, but it was as empty as it should be and he was still alone.

The thought of that left a hollow feeling in his chest but, then he knew where he wished he could be and, his thoughts were his and his alone. No one could see them or censor them. He mused about Jack as he so often did when he was alone in bed, thought about Jack's warm, soft brown eyes, and imagined the caress of Jack's firm touch. Most of the time that was enough and he could live with knowing that nothing could or would ever happen, but then there were nights -usually right after a bad mission - where he couldn't stop thinking about Jack and wanted more.

The memory of a solid body in his arms ghosted through his mind, and he knew he could no longer deny it. Jack had been in the bed with Daniel and he'd been holding Daniel. When Daniel had woken earlier to find himself crushed against the bed, at first he thought he was still in the middle of a dream, then he realized what was happening. Jack's scent flooded Daniel's sense memory, along with the feel of the rough skin of Jack's cheek, and both sent shivers through him. Daniel felt his dick swell at the remembered sensations and felt his guilt swell right along with it. He knew he couldn't do this, he shouldn't, but he was loath to stop. His fantasies were all he had, and what was the harm in a few illicit thoughts that no one else would ever know?

Daniel pulled the sheets up and tucked his head under them, until resentment and frustration overrode his shame. Kicking the sheets away, he exposed his body to the cool air of the room. Daniel reached down and tugged at the elastic of his boxers, pulling them down enough to allow his hard cock to spring free. He swallowed and closed his eyes, imagining Jack's touch, Jack's smile and Jack's low rumbling voice, telling Daniel that everything would be okay.

Daniel gripped his dick and stroked up the length, his balls already tight. It never took much to get him off when he thought about Jack. His cheeks flamed with shame, but he shivered with pleasure at the same time, jerking his cock faster. He licked his dry lips and remembered Jack's soft touch, wondering what it would feel like for Jack to touch him like that on purpose whether Jack's stroke would be rough or gentle.

Opening his eyes wide, Daniel stared up at the dark, blurred ceiling. He sped up the pace, stroking and jerking with one hand while, with his other hand, he ran his fingers through his course pubic hair, wrapping them around the base of his cock. Daniel mouthed Jack's name, squeezing his eyes shut. He was so close that all it would take was a few more strokes. His cock pulsed once then twice, and he squeezed himself hard, stroked up the full length, and clenched his ass cheeks when he felt the rush of orgasm. When he came, Daniel continued to stroke, even though the pleasure had almost turned to pain.

Panic and shame overwhelmed Daniel, and he rolled onto his side, clutching at his chest. The device on his temple felt warm, his head was pounding in agony, and the urge to find Jack overwhelmed him.

Daniel scrambled from the bed and rushed to the bathroom, heaving over the toilet, but nothing came up. His stomach was as empty as he felt inside. He sat on the edge of the cold tub, turning the water tap to as hot as he could manage.

He'd shower and then he'd go to Janet to beg her to get the damned thing off his temple.

* * *

Jack paced across the infirmary, fidgeting with the cuff of his shirt. The anxiety was back with a vengeance, tight and deep in his chest. One of the other nurses had told him that Janet had stepped out for an hour and would be back any second, which wasn't soon enough as far as Jack was concerned. Scrubbing a hand over his buzzed head, Jack stopped short when he almost ran into a nurse. With a muttered apology, he continued his pacing after she was quick to rush out of his presence, but then he changed his mind and followed her.

"When did you say Janet would be back?" Jack gestured and waved his arms in the air to get her attention, but she sped up her pace, probably in an effort to escape his manic mood. Frustrated by the delay, Jack slammed his fist into a wall with a growl, and then he spun on his heels when he heard someone approach from behind. It was Janet. Jack rushed to her and grabbed her arms, dragging her out of earshot of anyone else in the infirmary. "You have to get this thing off of me," Jack said.

Janet tried to pull away from his grip, glaring up at Jack and leaning her body away from him. He realized that he was holding her much too tight, as well as shaking her and, although he wanted to continue to shake until she screamed, he released her and took a step back.

"Okay, Colonel, here's what's going to happen," said Janet, raising a hand between them and indicating the invasion of personal space was not welcome. "First of all, you need to understand that a team of scientists is working on this problem around the clock. Second, never grab me like that again or I'll have you restrained. We're trying our hardest to find a way to remove those things without permanent damage to you or Daniel and we need your cooperation."

Cooperation. That was what Frellon had asked for.

Jack mumbled an apology. He shifted from one foot to the other, feeling the dread growing with each second, unable to stand still. Although he'd been trying to crush the feeling, the longer he stayed away from Daniel, the harder it became.

"Apology accepted," Janet said with a curt nod. She tilted her head and placed a hand on her hip as she studied him. "Now is there something you need to report? Is the device having some kind of obvious affect on you?"

At that very moment, Carter rushed into the infirmary. She nodded at Janet and then moved to Jack's side and watched him with wide anticipatory eyes.

"Oh yeah," Jack said. He rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling as he struggled to find the right words.

 _Gee, how does one phrase this? It's making me gay for Daniel._

Jack knew he couldn't say that. Not in front of Carter, and Janet, and everyone else parading through the very public SGC, military (not too friendly to gays) installation.

"This thing," Jack said, waving a hand at the device on his temple. "It blinks thirty times a minute."

"That's good information," Carter said. She stood watching and waiting for any other revelations, nothing but concerned interest on her face.

Jack paced across the room, head lowered in thought. Wringing his hands, he glanced up at the two women's expectant expressions then looked away again when he felt his face burn with embarrassment. He needed to come at this from a different angle.

Jack turned to leave and slammed into Daniel. They locked gazes and he could feel the anxiety coming off Daniel like a live thing.

"Jack," Daniel said before averting his eyes and turning to face Janet. "Have there been any updates?" He looked to Carter as well as Janet, his shoulders hunched under an invisible burden.

"I've been working on simulations of methods to remove the device," Carter said. Before she could continue, Jack raised his hand.

"Pick me first," Jack said. He marched to Carter's side and waved his hand at his temple. "I'm willing to volunteer as a guinea pig if that's what it takes."

"I'm not even close to testing on a live subject. I've run all the scenarios through a simulation and each time it kills the patient." She winced at Jack with a look of regret.

Jack's small shred of hope shriveled and died. "Well, that sucks."

Janet advanced on Jack and stared him down. "You still haven't told us what side effects you're experiencing," Janet said. Her gaze softened after a few moments, inviting his confidence, and Jack sighed in defeat.

"It's sort of hard to explain." Jack felt another sort of dread at the thought of telling Janet and Carter, not to mention Daniel, about what had happened earlier. Of course, that didn't mean that he had to supply details. He'd make sure that particular revelation would never see the light of day.

Daniel stepped forward, one hand on his hip while he made emphatic gestures in the air with his other hand, his gaze wandering around the room and never settling on one thing – especially not on Jack. "I've noticed that when Jack and I are away from each other for too long, I start to panic."

Jack stared openmouthed at Daniel.

"Right now is a good example," Daniel said, waving at the doorway he'd entered through and then at Jack. "Just before I came into this room, I felt dread like nothing I've ever felt before. The second I was close enough to Jack, poof, it vanished." Daniel's voice rose and he made exploding gestures with both hands in Jack's face.

Jack leaned away from Daniel, his eyes going wide as he glanced over to Janet and nodded his head in emphatic agreement.

"What he said," he said, pointing at Daniel, relieved at hearing Daniel's simple explanation, which made it apparent to Jack that the device wasn't turning anyone gay because what would be the sense in something like that?

"And it's growing," Daniel said.

Janet nudged Daniel and Jack over to one of the beds and pointed to indicate she wanted them to sit. They both sat down side by side in synchronized motion. Jack narrowed his gaze at Daniel and received a questioning stare in return, and then Daniel averted his eyes.

 _Were Daniel's cheeks turning pink?_

Janet tilted Jack's head and examined the device. Carter moved to stand in front of Daniel and he tilted his own head to allow her to examine his device.

"I don't understand why anyone would want something that does this," Jack said as he tried not to twist away from Janet's touch and failed.

"Sit still, Colonel," Janet said. "We're not even sure that causing panic is what it's supposed to do." She jerked Jack's head to the left and pressed a thumb against the device.

Jack flinched in pain. "That's enough of that!" Jack pushed her hands away and jumped down from the bed. He'd had enough poking and useless meddling. He had to get the thing off, and he began clawing at the device, desperate to have it gone. He tried to pry the thing away from his skin, ignoring the sharp shock of pain.

"Jack, stop!" Janet said.

"I want this damned thing off now!" Jack backed away from Janet, keeping her at arms length as he continued to claw at the device. The pain increased and Jack bent over, roaring in agony. Daniel, Janet, and Carter all advanced on him, but Jack backed away, one arm up to warn them to stay away. He turned his back on them, and then a spike of hope shot through him when he managed to pry the device away from his skin. The pain was excruciating, but Jack was beyond caring. Janet tried to get to him again, but Jack kept her on his six, dodging her every attempt to make him stop.

The shouts all around him blended into one voice. Daniel and Janet were both advancing on Jack in an effort to stop him from finishing, and Jack slammed back against Daniel's solid body, knocking him to the floor. Someone pleaded with Jack to stop what he was doing, but Jack didn't care. His head screaming in agony, Jack fell to his hands and knees and cried out. Black and white blobs swam in his vision and then everything went black.

* * *

Jack woke in the infirmary, his head pounding. He opened his eyes slow and easy, blinking against the light, and noticing that there was someone at the side of his bed.

"Daniel." Even though Daniel's voice was quiet, Jack's head exploded with pain. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and moaned.

"Hey, Jack," Daniel said.

"Oh god, kill me now," Jack said. He raised an arm and draped it over his eyes, relieved when it blotted out the hellish bright lights of the infirmary.

"Everything is going to be okay," Daniel said.

Jack peeked at him from under his arm, grimacing at Daniel's optimism. "Yeah, right."

"You're awake," Janet said. She moved into the space Daniel vacated, pushing Jack's arm aside to check his vitals. "Your serotonin levels are a still a bit high."

"My pain levels are a bit high. Any chance I can get something for this splitting headache, Doc?" Jack lowered his arm, cringing when the pain increased as he sat up. He was determined to get out of the place as soon as possible but for that to happen, he needed to convince Janet that he wouldn't try anything crazy again.

She handed him medication and Jack took it. He swung his legs off the bed and sat up. Daniel smiled at him, but Jack could see the worry in his eyes. "Just tell me I don't have to stay here, doc."

"Even though your serotonin levels are still a bit high, I've arranged quarters for the two of you," Janet said. She looked down at a chart she'd picked up. "They're not at dangerous levels at this point, so I don't see why you can't leave the infirmary."

"Thanks, doc," Jack said.

"While you were in here," Daniel said, wrapping his arms around his chest, "I tried to go do some work in my office, but the pain of being away from you was too intense. I almost passed out."

Jack leaned forward, clutching his aching head. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't mean to make this worse. I just..." he lifted his gaze to look at Daniel who had backed away a few steps to hug himself tighter. He noticed that Daniel's left cheek sported a nasty-looking bruise, and Jack could see by Daniel's body language that he felt uncomfortable with the entire situation.

 _Did I do that to him in the struggle? Shit._

Jack hadn't thought through it at all, and he certainly hadn't thought of his friend. They were in the thing together. Jack shook his head and bit his bottom lip, trying to telegraph just how sorry he was at Daniel without saying the words again.

Janet shot Jack a look of disapproval, which made Jack feel even guiltier at what he'd done.

"It's okay, Jack," Daniel said. "I get it. I want this thing off just as much as you do."

Janet handed Jack a bottle of pills.

"Take two any time you start to feel that splitting headache coming on," Janet said. She placed a gentle hand on Jack's arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"Have we had any luck dialing through to the planet?" Jack slid from the bed and took his jacket from Daniel, putting it on with a few quick jerks.

"Not yet," Daniel said. "Sam contacted the Tok'ra in the hopes that they might know something about this technology. If not, then we can always fly to P3X 933."

They walked out of the infirmary together and into the hallway. Jack felt a sense of calm wash over him whenever he brushed shoulders with Daniel.

"How far away is the planet by ship?" They continued to walk side-by-side in step toward the elevator, and Jack felt the warmth increase deep inside his chest while his temple no longer throbbed.

"It's about a week away at full speed in a Tel'tak vessel," Daniel said. They stepped inside the elevator car when it arrived, Daniel standing to one side, his arms around his chest. Jack could see that he was making an effort to look at ease, but he knew Daniel too well. His body vibrated with tension.

Jack felt angry that Daniel was so tense around him, followed by a stab of regret at his own erratic behavior. He bit back an apology, and instead, concentrated on the here and now. "Great," Jack said with a wave of his hand. "Now all we have to do is wait for the Tok'ra to decide to return our call." Jack knew the chances of that happening were slim to none. Even with Carter's father in their ranks, things hadn't exactly been all hearts and flowers between the SGC and the Tok'ra.

Daniel leaned against the wall of the elevator and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, Sam contacted Selmak, but all he could say was that they'd never heard of the planet." He inhaled and exhaled with a heavy sigh, fidgeting with his glasses. "He said he would come as soon as he could and take a look at the technology, but he also said it didn't sound familiar." He attempted a nonchalant shrug, but Jack could still see the tension in Daniel's shoulders and stance.

"Don't you have some work you said you needed to do? I don't mind going to your office," Jack said with a shrug. He tucked his hands in his pants pockets and eyed Daniel with a smile.

"That would be..." Daniel narrowed his eyes and made a vague hand gesture in Jack's direction. "Are you sure? I don't want you to be bored." Jack was relieved that at least Daniel could look him in the eyes again.

"I am more than sure, Daniel." Jack slung a casual arm across Daniel's shoulders and leaned forward to press the button for the archeology department level. "It beats sitting around in a locked room, wondering what's going to happen next."

When he released Daniel with a slap on the shoulder, Daniel flinched and eyed him with a wary expression. "Okay, Jack, if you say so."

* * *

The moment they entered Daniel's room, he crossed to his desk and sat down, propping his elbows on the battered wood before bending his head to the scattered books, papers, and manila folders. As he shuffled through his interrupted work, he spared Jack a glance and a smile before lowering his head again.

Jack sat down on a swivel chair in front of Daniel's desk, spinning through one complete turn and then pushing off the desk to roll backwards across the room. Daniel didn't look up, but Jack saw the corners of his mouth twitch right before he said, "I promise not to be too long." He bent his head further and Jack half-stood to stare down at the soft nape of Daniel's exposed neck.

 _It would be so easy to break his neck. I could saunter behind him, reach out and, wrap one arm around Daniel's throat and just give it a sharp twist._

Jack dropped back in his seat, trying to shake the disturbing thoughts from his head, and then he stood and walked to the other side of the room, as far away from Daniel as he could get without leaving. Not understanding what had possessed him to think that way, Jack looked to Daniel then glanced away, biting the inside of his cheek to distract himself from any further chilling thoughts.

"If you want, we could go get some of your work from your office," Daniel said.

Jack turned his head to find Daniel smiling up at him. The generosity of the offer warmed Jack and he found it easy to say, "I'm cool," with one raised brow and a dismissive wave.

Daniel nodded and bent his head back to his work.

Jack strolled around the room, realizing he knew every artifact on display. Even when he didn't know what something was, where it came from, or what it meant, he still had its location in the room memorized. He tapped a finger against a wooden shelf, looking around to discover that he'd made a complete circuit around the room, and stood behind Daniel. Jack took a step forward to peek over Daniel's shoulder. It was just as he'd thought; Daniel was translating gobbledygook. Transferring his gaze down to Daniel's exposed neck, he wondered if the short hairs were as soft as they looked, then he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets to fight the urge to find out.

Daniel raised his head but didn't turn to look at Jack.

"Is this bothering you?" Jack said, pointing to the back of Daniel's head. The tips of his fingers grazed the fine hairs on the back of Daniel's neck and, sure enough, they were kind of soft, but Jack thought it would require more intel to make a full assessment.

Daniel leaned forward and turned his head enough to peek at Jack over his shoulder.

"No," Daniel said, but the wary expression in his eyes said otherwise.

Jack sidled back over to his chair and flopped down into the seat, causing it to roll back a few inches. Spinning it around once, he slouched with his elbows on the armrests, and his gaze on Daniel's down turned head.

Jack imagined jumping over the desk and forcing Daniel to pay attention to him.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The bed was too hard. The chair was too uncomfortable. No matter what Jack did, he couldn't sit still and he couldn't get to sleep. To make matters worse, Daniel lay sound asleep on the other bed, and Jack shot a glare of resentment at him, wishing he would wake up.

He'd been pacing the room for over an hour, the anxiety was back with a vengeance, and being near Daniel no longer helped. Jack had checked the device and it still pulsed at the same rate. He felt as though the fucking thing on his temple was driving him insane. He stood in the bathroom of their room and stared at his reflection, knowing he should report to the infirmary, but he couldn't make himself move away from Daniel.

Jack wanted to smash something and he drew his fist back to pound it into the mirror, but stopped because if he did then Daniel would insist that he go to the infirmary. His mind was in turmoil. One minute he felt a level of anger he hadn't experienced in years and the next he felt in control. For tonight, he could handle whatever this was.

Jack moved with swift and silent grace back into the bedroom, stopping at the side of Daniel's bed. He gazed down at him, anxiety filling his chest, but then one touch quelled the panic. He didn't know why he still felt at the edge of panic with Daniel right there in front of him. Up until now, being with Daniel had been enough to quell the anxiety.

Jack sat down on the chair near the bed and stared down at Daniel, figuring if he couldn't sleep then he'd take first watch, or maybe he'd take watch all night. It didn't matter to him. He crossed his arms, and his tags rattling. Daniel stirred at the faint noise, and Jack sat up straight and frowned down at him.

"Jack?" His voice sounded rough, and Daniel rubbed at his sleepy eyes with one hand. He sat up in the bed, the covers slipping down to his waist. Jack allowed his gaze to trail down to the exposed skin, well aware that it was too dark to see much, and Daniel wouldn't have a clue what was happening. Minus his glasses, Daniel was almost blind.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," Jack said. He relaxed back in his chair and raised his leg to rest a foot on the edge of the bed.

"Is everything okay?" Daniel reached for his glasses on the nightstand. Jack lunged forward and stopped him, gripping Daniel's hand in his.

"Go back to sleep," Jack said. He gave Daniel's hand a firm squeeze and then released it.

"Jack." Daniel said his name in that irritating way he had when he was worried, drawing out the word as if it had more than one syllable.

"I can't get comfortable," Jack said through clenched teeth, his agitation rising.

 _Why did Daniel always have to push? He couldn't just leave things alone._

Daniel raised his knees, the blanket slid from him, exposing the skin of his bare legs to Jack's gaze. It wasn't that he hadn't seen all of it before - he had and more - but those other times Jack hadn't wanted to look. It was lucky for Jack that Daniel was still blind.

Determined to resist temptation, Jack stood and then sat on the bed, so he wouldn't have to face Daniel and all that skin. Daniel slid up the bed to rest against the headboard and wrapped his arms around his long legs. Jack could see his toes wiggle out of the corner of his eye.

"Is there anything I can do?" Daniel asked.

Jack shrugged his shoulders and risked a peek higher. The wide honest gaze that stared back at him softened his resolve. He was Daniel, after all, Jack's friend, and Jack knew that he could trust him. The only problem was the anxious feeling was back and burrowing into Jack's brain.

Daniel reached up to touch the bruise on his cheek. Jack caught the flinch and added one of his own. "I'm sorry about the..." Jack waved his finger at his own cheek and then at Daniel. "You know I'd never deliberately hurt you, right?"

Daniel nodded and leaned forward to rest his head on his bent knees. It was obvious that he was tired, and Jack wished that Daniel would just go back to sleep. He shouldn't have to suffer because of Jack's insomnia.

"You're stalling, Jack," Daniel said. He raised his head and straightened his legs, forcing Jack to shift out of the way to give Daniel room to move. Daniel slid over the bed to sit down beside Jack, settling one hand on Jack's bare knee. "Whatever it is, we can work it out together."

Jack felt exposed in only his boxers and a t-shirt, and wished he'd worn more. He took a deep breath, and then exhaled as he considered, thinking that he couldn't do what Daniel asked. He just couldn't. He'd kept the unwelcome feelings to himself for so long, vowing never to allow them the light of day but, with each breath that Daniel took, Jack became more certain that he could no longer live that way.

Still thinking, Jack felt a sudden, very urgent longing to let his desires free. As if in response, the device on his temple sent a shock through him, but Jack managed to stifle the flinch. Unaware of Jack's internal struggle, Daniel took Jack's hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Jack kept his own hand loose, too afraid to squeeze back.

"I'm not stalling," Jack said. The device zapped him again. Angry at the frustrating situation, Jack stood and rejected Daniel's touch, pacing across the room as he felt his agitation build.

"Maybe we should go see Janet," Daniel said.

Jack turned his back on Daniel, a sudden unexpected rage blurring his vision. "I don't need to see Janet." He clenched his fists for a moment then reached up to stroke his tags. They meant everything to him, representing his choices: the Air Force, Daniel, all of it, and he didn't know why he was suddenly so angry about that. He took another deep breath and turned to look at Daniel.

"Okay," Daniel said. He leaned over and picked his glasses up from the stand.

Daniel was so perfect except for that one flaw, Jack thought, had just that one weakness and Jack couldn't abide weakness. He hated it with every fiber of his being. Jack crushed the thoughts and squeezed his eyes shut, reconsidering whether they should go to the infirmary. Jack opened his eyes and watched Daniel stand, the look in Daniel's less-than-perfect eyes radiating understanding. It was nothing new - Daniel had always been the understanding one, always willing to see every situation from different angles. Another zap radiated from the device.

 _Kind, wonderful Daniel whose neck Jack wanted to snap._

Jack fell back against the wall and slammed his head against the hard surface.

"Jack?" He heard the concern in Daniel's voice, felt him draw nearer.

"Daniel." The word was a warning. His voice sounded hollow even to his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and slid down to crouch with his arms curled around his chest to hold it all in. Keeping his attention trained on his dangling tags, he concentrated on their negligible weight around his neck. He was certain that if he just got past the wave of anger, he could manage to get to Janet and Carter and they would remove this thing from his temple.

Jack jumped at the warm hand on his bare arm, the touch of Daniel's hand sending an electric shock through Jack's body. He gulped down a shout to whisper, "Don't." He shook his head, fighting the urge to reach up and throw Daniel to the floor, where Jack could crush his windpipe. He shook his head harder at the grisly images flashing through his mind. "Get away from me, Daniel." Jack cringed when the device sent another shock through him. He itched to get his hands on Daniel, to wrap them around his throat and squeeze.

"No. I won't leave you," Daniel said. He wrapped his hands around Jack's bicep and tugged upward. "Come on. We'll go to the infirmary and Janet will help you."

Jack had barely regained his footing when the rage became overwhelming. He lunged, throwing his entire body weight on top of Daniel. They fell to the floor together, and Jack wedged his legs between Daniel's, pressing down hard. "You should have run when you had the chance," Jack said.

Daniel tried all the tricks to get away that Jack had taught him but, of course, Jack knew every counter. Jack straddled Daniel, held him down with one hand, and made a fist with the other, aiming it at Daniel's head. Daniel bucked and clawed, managing to dislodge Jack and, throwing him off. He scrambled away from Jack and rushed for the door. Jack dove after him, but missed.

"Jack, stop!" Daniel fell against the closed door, struggling to get it open.

"I told you," Jack said, standing up and steadying his rattling tags. Daniel looked terrified, just as he should because Jack was going to break every bone in his body. "Run, Daniel." Jack doubled over in agony, fighting the urge to attack.

"Jack."

"You drive me fucking crazy!" Jack rushed forward, but Daniel made it out the door. The single guard outside their door was too stunned to react right away, and Jack punched him in the face then fell on top of him, pounding him until he was unconscious. When Jack stood from his self-assigned task, the angry feeling that had dissipated with the violence flared back to life.

Daniel stood with wide eyes staring at him, just staring at him, and Jack saw red as he stalked toward Daniel. "I am going to fucking kill you." Nothing else mattered to Jack except getting his hands on Daniel, and he wouldn't allow anyone or anything to get in his way.

Daniel finally turned and ran. The fear in Daniel's eyes, as he looked back over his shoulder, sent a thrill through Jack and he rushed after him. Stopping at the terminal box against a wall, Jack opened it to pull a few wires, plunging the entire level into darkness until the emergency lighting kicked in to flood the hallway with a pale light. Warning claxons sounded, but Jack ignored them to run after Daniel.

At the end of the hallway, Daniel spun around and faced Jack, his eyes wild and desperate as he searched for an escape. Jack rushed at him, throwing himself against Daniel, until he slammed him up against the wall. He knocked Daniel's glasses off and Daniel screamed. Jack wrapped his hands around Daniel's throat to shut him up. The sound was driving him insane, burrowing into his mind. Jack felt the kick to his thigh, but ignored the pain.

"Jack stop!" Daniel clutched at Jack's wrists and tried to pry Jack's hands from his throat.

"I can't," Jack said. Their gazes locked, and Jack stared into wide blue depths, their color made darker under the dim lighting.

"You have to stop, Jack," Daniel said. Instead of trying to pushing Jack away, which was what Daniel should have been doing, he pressed closer to Jack, thrusting his face into Jack's space. Releasing Jack's hands, he wrapped his carefully around Jack's face. "It's not you. The device is making you do this. This isn't you." Daniel shook Jack's head gently as if hoping to rattle some sense into it.

"Daniel," Jack said. The shock of skin contact sent chills through Jack, and he fought the urge to tighten his grip. He didn't want Daniel dead and, if Jack were to be honest, he cared about Daniel more than he cared about his own life. Jack flinched at the jolt of pain that filled his head when he didn't follow through on the compulsion to kill. His fingers tightened around the all-too delicate bones of Daniel's throat, and Jack gritted his teeth, still trying to suppress the need to squeeze harder.

Daniel's bright eyes glistened in the light. "Jack, please."

Gathering his willpower, Jack released his hold on Daniel's throat and cupped Daniel's cheek with one hand.

Daniel nodded and pressed against Jack. "Fight it, Jack," Daniel said. "I know you can fight this."

Jack gave in to the urge and pressed his lips to Daniel's forehead, then he squeezed his eyes shut tight, fighting the resurfacing needed for destruction. Tilting Daniel's head, he pressed his lips against Daniel's surprise-slackened mouth. The kiss was dry and close-mouthed, and Jack shouldn't have, but he needed to ground himself, so he mashed their mouths together and ignored Daniel's struggles.

Then it was over. Daniel managed to wedge his arm between them, and Jack recoiled, falling back against the opposite wall. Even as he lifted his gaze to stare in dismay at Daniel's stunned expression, the command to extinguish Daniel cycled through Jack's mind, the need to kill him so that the pain would end. Jack's gut clenched at the thought of obeying.

"Run," Jack said, but it was barely a whisper beneath the blaring claxon.

Daniel moved toward Jack, reaching out for him even after what Jack had done. "Jack. I won't leave you alone." His hand reached out to Jack in friendship and his soft eyes filled with compassion.

Jack pictured the twenty-one different ways that he could kill Daniel in the blink of an eye.

"I said run, damn it!" Jack lunged at Daniel, no longer able to fight the base instinctual need building once again in his brain. He screamed with rage, reaching for Daniel's sleeve. His fingers only grazed the fabric as Daniel scrambled away, and Jack's heart pounded with both fear and fury.

Daniel finally took Jack's warnings to heart and ran.

As Jack walked down the hall, confident that it would take little effort to catch and dispose of Daniel, someone tall and large stepped into the corridor before him. Jack squinted into the blaring light and, even though Jack couldn't see his face, he knew who the intruder was.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said.

"Hey, big guy," Jack said. He felt almost happy to see Teal'c, and he could feel the vicious compulsion dissipating but then he saw Daniel standing behind Teal'c. A switch in Jack's brain flipped, and Jack mentally reviewed every possible method to disable Teal'c in order to reach his goal.

"Hey Daniel." Jack waved, feeling a surge of pleasure when he saw how Daniel's throat was starting to purple from their encounter. Jack smiled at the terror in Daniel's wide eyes then he frowned, Jack's heart suddenly trip hammering at the thought of Daniel being afraid of him. Pain surged through Jack's skull, and he slammed his palm against his forehead, trying to dislodge the hurt beneath.

"Jack," Daniel said. He moved forward to stand beside Teal'c. Jack noted that Teal'c had one hand behind his back. "Please come with us to the infirmary." Daniel held both hands up in front of him, in a calm non-threatening way. Teal'c held one arm across Daniel's chest to stop him from moving toward Jack.

Smart move.

"What'cha hiding there, T?" Jack said taking a step forward.

"I can not allow you any closer to Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. He lifted what he'd hidden - a zat. Teal'c thumbed the activation button, and the weapon popped open, ready to use.

Jack narrowed his eyes at the two men, angry that he'd allowed Daniel to escape. His mind warred with the two conflicting thoughts. He had to kill Daniel. He cared about Daniel.

"Shoot me, T!" Jack stood with his arms wide, ready to take the blow from the weapon, but when Teal'c fired, Jack's instincts kicked in and he ducked the shot. Daniel rushed toward him, and Jack jumped to his feet.

"You idiot! Move, Daniel!" Grabbing Daniel, Jack pushed him out of the way, even as Teal'c fired the weapon again. Jack fell to his knees, back arched, head thrown back and eyes on the ceiling, hating the nerve-shattering zap that the zat delivered. Every muscle in his body clenched in pain even as he heard Daniel shout his name.

Thankful for the reprieve, Jack fell forward into the black.

* * *

He should have been worried about the bruises and the fact that Jack had just tried to kill him, but all Daniel could think about was the kiss.

Daniel sat on a bed in the infirmary with Jack a few feet away still unconscious and strapped to the bed. Daniel's throat hurt when he swallowed and he raised a hand to rub at the soreness, remembering how escaping Jack's grip had been almost impossible. Every instinct was screaming at Daniel to stay away from Jack, and yet there was the kiss. Daniel fidgeted with the hem of his t-shirt, his gaze moving around the room.

He needed to come up with a plausible explanation for what had happened. Jack had kissed him. Jack, his best friend, tough as nails military man, had taken Daniel's head in his hands and pressed his lips to Daniel's lips. The tingle of the kiss seared in his brain and he raised his hand to touch his lips. In addition to his lingering disbelief, Daniel was terrified that the moment had been forever immortalized on a security camera but, so far, no one had said anything about the incident.

Janet walked in silence around the room, checking on Jack then placing a hand on Daniel's leg. She offered him a comforting smile then went back to check on another patient, leaving Daniel alone with him for the first time since they arrived back in the infirmary.

Sliding off of the bed, Daniel walked over to where Jack lay silent and still. Daniel's thoughts were in turmoil, the memory of Jack begging him to run even as he pursued him down the hallway still unsettlingly fresh. His heart pounded in his chest at being so close to Jack and he reached out with a shaky hand, but then withdrew it without touching Jack. On the one hand, his instinct to stay close to Jack was overwhelming, but the urge to run as far away as possible was fighting for dominance in the back of Daniel's mind. Although his fear pushed and tried to control him, Daniel fought it with every fiber of his being because he knew that he didn't really fear Jack. Daniel knew that it had to be the device trying to control him, but the conflict still hurt his head. He had a feeling that if only he could think, then he'd be able to figure out what it all meant.

Daniel returned to his bed and sat down, bending over to clutch at his pounding head. His mind reeled at the implications and, even though he was angry that he wasn't in control, he wanted to move close to Jack again. He jumped off the bed and rushed to Jack's side, touching Jack's still face with one hand. The pain stopped the moment he made contact, and he glanced back over his shoulder to check if he was still alone. Although he knew there were cameras watching, he didn't care. The only way he could relieve his distress was by touching Jack. Daniel leaned forward and rested his forehead against Jack's chest, concentrating on the steady rise and fall of Jack's breathing, letting it calm him and fill his world. He slid a finger over Jack's slack mouth, covering his own mouth with his other hand as he fought the urge to press their lips together. It would be beyond foolish to tempt fate, and the SGC surveillance system, again.

"Daniel." Sam's voice broke through the haze, and Daniel released his hold on Jack, sliding off and away from him. He stood up straight, but kept his back to Sam.

"I was just..." Daniel's throat constricted and he couldn't manage to get the rest of his sentence out. He flinched at Sam's touch, but allowed Sam to steer him away from Jack and back to his own bed.

"It's not your fault," Sam said. She rubbed a soothing hand on his shoulder, and Daniel risked a glance at Sam. She was staring at his throat.

Daniel looked away and covered his neck with one hand. Even the slightest of touches against his bruises was a painful reminder of Jack's hands around his throat. The wild look in Jack's eyes when he'd wanted to hurt him had seared into Daniel's brain, though he knew they were not actions Jack would have undertaken in his right mind.

"It's not Jack's fault either," Daniel said. He was trying to think of a way to ask about security footage, but Teal'c came in just at that moment. He stopped close to Daniel's bed, standing between Jack and Daniel, blocking Daniel's view in an obvious deliberate stance.

Daniel tuned Teal'c and Sam out, his gaze focused on what he could see of Jack. He stared morosely at the cuffs around Jack's wrists, knowing that Jack would be furious when he woke up to find himself helpless.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he startled when someone waved a hand in his face in a bid for his attention.

"I'm going to my office," Daniel said, gesturing at the exit. He took one last look at Jack and hurried out of the room, ignoring Sam's pleas to stay.

Daniel rushed into his office and turned the desk lamp on. His head was pounding, so he opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out his stash of migraine medication before sitting down in his chair. He took two of the strong pills and leaned back, resting the back of his neck against the padded leather, covering his eyes with one arm as he tried to think.

It was apparent that his reaction to the implant was different from Jack's volatile and violent reaction. Janet suspected it was due to their personal brain chemistry, but they had no proof. They problem was that they knew so little about the alien technologies they encountered on a daily basis. It was hubris to think that they could decode its meaning in order to remove these disks.

Daniel leaned forward and scrubbed the defeatist thoughts from his mind. There was no point in dwelling on the negative. He would just have to cope until the whole ordeal was over. Daniel attempted a brave smile and shook his head - sometimes it seemed that all Daniel ever did was cope.

In the meantime, he set to work on a translation, focusing all his thoughts forward, and trying not to think about the alien device, or Jack, or the kiss.

* * *

Something was playing the maracas inside Jack's head.

Jack opened his eyes with a wince at the too-bright lighting to discover he was in a bed in the infirmary. He tried to raise his arm, but something stopped him. He lifted his head and realized it was because he was very efficiently strapped in the bed.

"Oh, come on," Jack said, letting his head fall back against the pillow.

"O'Neill."

Teal'c stood beside the bed, looking down at Jack with one brow raised.

Jack jerked both his arms against the restraints, flexing hard against them. "This is stupid. Get me out of these," he said. When there was no response, Jack fought harder against the cuffs, arching his body up off the bed.

"I cannot, O'Neill," said Teal'c. "You attempted to kill Daniel Jackson."

Jack slammed his head against the pillow several times before relaxing back against the bed. He took a few deep breaths and frowned at Teal'c's inscrutable expression. "I promise I won't try to hurt him again," Jack said, even as he assessed his state of mind. He felt calm inside, the urge to kill Daniel was gone, and Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "It's over. I swear to you, T. I don't feel that way anymore."

Someone else walked into the room, and Jack turned his head to find Janet and Carter standing a few feet away.

Janet's expression was dour as she said, "You're awake." She stepped in closer beside the bed and reached for Jack's wrist.

Jack could still feel the device on his temple, so unfortunately for him, they hadn't somehow managed to remove the thing while he was unconscious. He shook his head, tested the restraints several more times, and wondered what the point of doctors on base were if they couldn't figure out some simple blinking technology.

"I don't have that feeling any more," Jack said. He looked up into Janet's unyielding expression. "I swear it's gone. Maybe the zat neutralized the thing." Jack smiled, hoping that it was true, but Janet didn't look convinced.

"We're waiting for my dad to arrive, sir," Carter said.

Jack raised his head to look at Carter. She appeared quite upset, which really wasn't a surprise. Daniel was like a brother to her, and Jack, through no fault of his own, had just tried to kill him.

"That's good news, right?" Jack took two deep breaths. He felt a tingle in his head and shuddered, knowing what it meant. Dread filled his gut and he raised his head to see Daniel stealing into the room. He squeezed his eyes shut with a groan of dismay. "God damn it, Daniel."

"Jack," Daniel said. His voice was soft and filled with distress.

The device was still very much active. Jack opened his eyes and looked at Daniel, anguish heavy in his chest. Daniel's throat was purpled where Jack had gripped him tight, his mouth sported a dark bruise, and one eye had blackened.

The device on Daniel's temple blinked a cheerful green, as if to taunt Jack, and he struggled to squash his resentment inside. Those thoughts weren't Jack's, he didn't want Daniel dead, and that was all due to the fucking thing on his temple. He vowed that when he got his hands on the man who put it there, Jack would make him pay.

"Daniel, you shouldn't be here," Jack said through clenched teeth. He struggled against his bonds and tried to crush the anger, mumbling the oath of allegiance as a distraction.

"The colonel is right," Janet said. She placed herself between Daniel and Jack, as if her tiny little insignificant figure could ever stop Jack if he really wanted to get past her. Jack laughed out loud at the thought, and all eyes turned to him.

"I won't let Jack go through this alone," Daniel said. He pushed past Janet and moved in beside the bed to look down at Jack.

"You stubborn..." Jack said, gritting his teeth. He bit his bottom lip to stop himself from saying more.

Daniel reached out and placed a hand on Jack's arm. The simple touch was enough to drive Jack over the edge and he arched off the bed, straining as hard as he could against the bonds.

"Come closer," said Jack. "I need you to come closer." He locked gazes with Daniel as he growled, "So I can finish what I started." He slammed his head against the bed and strained toward Daniel, desperate to get to him.

 _Desperate to touch, strangle, and crush the life out of him._

"It's going to be okay, Jack," Daniel said. Jack could see the hurt in his eyes and he wanted to make it go away forever.

Something pricked his arm. "Ouch, that hurt." Jack turned his head to find Janet standing on the other side of the bed with an empty syringe in her hand.

"It's just something to calm you down," Janet said.

Jack strained harder against his bonds, tensing every muscle toward Daniel. Everything hurt. His mind, his body, and his heart all ached with a pain so great and he wanted it to end. "Let me get to him just this once. It will be over fast. I promise." Jack's words trailed off as the drug took effect. He relaxed against the bed, sighing with release. He blinked up at Daniel, the urgent desire to kill fading.

"I don't understand. Why haven't I been reacting to the device the same way?" Daniel asked. He crossed his arms, hugging his torso. Jack hated when Daniel closed himself off like that, and knowing it was Jack's fault made it so much worse.

Jack looked up at Daniel, wishing he could tell him how sorry he was. Daniel stepped forward again and took Jack's hand in his, giving it a good squeeze. Jack's body felt light as his tensed muscles relaxed, and he smiled when Daniel squeezed his hand again.

"I don't know," Janet said with a shrug. "I can still only speculate that the device is reacting differently to your brain chemistries."

The siren for gate activation sounded. Jack raised his head to frown at Daniel. "You look worried," Jack said, straining against his bonds to reach for Daniel. "Don't be worried, Danny. I promise to take good care of you." Jack nodded and let his head fall back against the pillow, then he slammed it against the pillow several more times until Janet placed a hand on his arm. He stopped and stared at her mournful expression, barely noticing when Daniel released his hand and vanished from his line of sight.

"That's probably my dad," Carter said. She started to leave the infirmary.

"You tell that snakehead to get his nasty ass down here," Jack said, calling out after her, then she was gone and the room was silent when the claxon stopped blaring. It took a few moments because of the drugs, but Jack figure out that Selmak must have walked through the gate.

No one said a word while they all waited for Carter and her father to return. Daniel still stood just out of Jack's view, even when Jack craned his neck and stretched, trying to get a look at him. Frustrated, Jack slammed his loosening fists against the bed, his muscles so relaxed that he thought he might end up taking a nap whether he wanted to or not. Nevertheless, although the drug was working and Jack felt less angry, his anxiety over Daniel wasn't dissipating.

"Daniel," Jack said. "Come here." When there was no reply, Jack stretched harder against his bonds, until he could feel one of the restraints loosening. He tested it again, feeling a thrill in his chest at the thought that he might be able to escape and get to Daniel.

"Just relax, Colonel," Janet said. She placed a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Let the drug help you."

"Is that your impression of a bedside manner?" Jack asked. He tugged at his left wrist restraint, feeling the fastening loosening.

"It's best if you relax. Selmak will be here any moment, and maybe we'll get some answers," Janet said.

Jack narrowed his eyes and tugged one more time, freeing his arm. He lunged at Janet, and managed to hook her white lab coat, reeling her in to slam her up against the side of the bed. She crumpled to the floor as Daniel and Teal'c rushed forward. Teal'c rescued Janet and Daniel grabbed at Jack, which was exactly what Jack had hoped would happen. He wrapped his freed arm around Daniel's throat, twisted him until his back was to Jack, and pulled him up onto the bed on top of himself. Daniel cried out and clutched at Jack's arm, clawing him with his nails, but Jack ignored the pain. The renewed pounding in his head subsided and he felt a sense of peace.

"Jack, stop!" Daniel struggled against Jack, sending shivers through Jack, and then Daniel did something unexpected. He went limp against Jack, twisting his torso so that Jack's mouth was against the soft shell of Daniel's ear and he could see Daniels' blue eyes wide with terror. "Don't do it, Jack."

Jack shifted them so that Daniel was between him and Teal'c who now held up a zat poised to fire. "Shoot me and you hit Daniel," Jack said.

Daniel held a hand up, palm facing Teal'c.

"Don't shoot," Daniel said. He relaxed his weight even more against Jack. "I know you, Jack. I know this isn't you and that you'd never hurt me. Not on purpose."

Jack stroked the soft exposed throat, Daniel's Adam's apple undulating beneath his touch.

"I could snap your neck before he got off a shot," Jack whispered into Daniel's ear.

"But you won't, Jack." Daniel swallowed again, his throat bumping against Jack's cruel caress. "I know you won't."

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. The zat twitched in his hand, and Jack tightened his grip around Daniel's throat.

"Let me handle this, Teal'c," Daniel said. "Just... I can handle this."

Teal'c clenched his jaw. It was obvious that he wanted to lunge forward, but he hesitated, and Jack smirked with victory. Teal'c backed away, lowering the weapon.

Jack loosened his grip on Daniel to allow him to move. Instead of rushing away from Jack, Daniel turned and leaned in close, his face filling Jack's field of vision, blocking everything and anyone else in the room out.

"It's not you, Jack," Daniel said. His eyes softened, implored, begged.

Jack blinked and opened his mouth to object, to say something, anything. Stricken mute, he clacked his teeth together, gritting them against the rush of anguish and despair. Jack bent and clutched at his head, clawing at the offending device. Daniel tightened his arms, pulling Jack in close and holding him. His face mashed against Daniel's chest, Jack could hear Daniel's heartbeat in his ear, and he concentrated on the steady thump.

"Not me," Jack said. "Not me." He mouthed the words and counted the beats.

Jack didn't flinch when someone pricked him with another needle. He looked up from where he sat pressed against Daniel and met Janet's hard gaze. An ugly bruise was already starting to bloom on her right cheek.

"We have to strap you down again," Daniel said. He eased Jack away, and settled him back down onto the bed, guiding his arm to the restraint. Jack yanked his arm out of Daniel's grip and reached up to brush two unsteady fingers across Daniel's cheek and mouth. Daniel snatched Jack's hand in both his hands, mouthing Jack's name against Jack's palm.

"I'm sorry," Jack said with a shake of his head. His arm felt heavy as Daniel strapped it back against the bed. He hated drugs, hated the feeling they gave him. Jack felt his control slip away, his body relaxed and his muscles grew loose. Jack sighed and his head lolled, but then he struggled to raise it off the pillow at the sound of someone entering the room.

"Jack," Jacob Carter said, his human-resonant voice signaling the speaker.

Jacob stopped at the foot of the bed, dressed as he always was in his adopted Tok'ra garb, holding a small plastic case in his hands. His daughter stood behind him, her brow creased with worry.

Daniel offered a half-hearted smile and wave to the new people. Jacob Carter returned the greeting with a nod of his head. He motioned for Daniel to go sit on the bed beside Jack's and followed, setting the case down on the bed beside Daniel. Jack tilted his head to watch.

"You gonna make this all better?" asked Jack. His tongue felt thick and he knew he'd slurred his words.

With Jacob's back to Jack, he wasn't able to see exactly what the man was doing, but the next time he spoke, it was with the voice of the Tok'ra, Selmak.

"I will do my best, old friend," Selmak said. He glanced over his shoulder at Jack and held up some sort of long cylindrical shaped object.

"Just don't hurt Daniel," Jack said. He smiled at them, feeling lightheaded and happy. "Or I'll have to kill you." Jack winked at them and felt a soft surge of energy travel from the device through his head. He chuckled low in his throat, as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever said.

The room went silent and Jack shrugged his shoulders, or at least he tried to shrug them. His mouth went slack as he lay watching Jacob (Selmak) examine Daniel's temple. Jack squinted and shook his head once, trying to focus past the drugs. Daniel's device still blinked green with a steady pulse, and Jack concentrated on that pulse, mouthing each number as he counted the blinks.

Everyone was silent while Selmak studied the device. A few minutes passed, and Jack lolled his head from side to side. He could see that it was going nowhere and that Selmak had no clue what they were dealing with, he just wasn't sure why the snakehead wasn't telling them that he was just as stumped as they were.

When Daniel cringed, Jack snapped his head up and strained against the bonds.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Selmak said. He lowered his instrument and turned an apologetic look at Jack. Daniel rubbed at his temple and then flinched, his shoulders hunched from the pain he was probably experiencing. Jack was furious because he was the only one allowed to make Daniel hurt. He rolled his head left and right to loosen the tension in his neck and then glared up at the snake.

"Figures," Jack said, not hiding his contempt. "Every time we need help, you snakes turn out to be a useless ally." Jack curled his top lip in disgust.

Carter stepped forward to talk to her father's symbiote. "I know you said you didn't recognize the technology by description, but we were hoping that you would once you had a chance to examine what we were dealing with for yourself."

Jack nodded and snorted his disgust. It was natural for Carter to defend her dad, but that didn't mean Jack had to like it. He looked past them to find Daniel bent over still seated on the bed and still in pain. Jack struggled against his bonds, kicking his legs up and sideways in an attempt to escape.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Jacob had returned. "I was hoping that as well. It is similar to something Selmak remembers seeing on another planet, but that technology was tamperproof and required a specific device to remove it from the subject."

Jack closed his eyes and sighed, trying to tune out the words, but they filled his world, hissing and slithering into his brain.

"I remember Hedra had some sort of handheld control box," Daniel said.

Jack smiled at the sound of Daniel's voice, letting it wash through him in a soothing wave. He opened his eyes and turned to watch Daniel, who was holding his hand up as though he held that control box in it right here and right now. Daniel waved with his other hand at the imaginary box. He slid off the bed and stood beside Jacob.

"It had flashing lights on the front, as well as some screen, and he used it to activate the temple devices," Daniel said. He finished his imaginary demonstration and lowered his hands to rest them on his hips.

Jack licked his lips and stared at Daniel's midsection, narrowing his eyes and wishing he could get his hands on those hips. He knew firsthand that they were very nice. Jack slammed his head back against the pillow as he remembered, startling Carter in the process. He grinned at her using a lot of teeth and relished the look of fear in her eyes.

"We still can't dial out to their world," Hammond said from where he stood in the back of the room.

"Then there is only one option," Teal'c said. He appeared, a tall figure towering behind the rest of the group. "We must take a ship to their home world so that we may obtain the control box and deactivate the devices."

"Wow, Teal'c," Jack said with a chuckle. "You nipped that one in the bud."

"Is that another one of your colorful phrases, O'Neill? I do not know that one." Teal'c wasn't smiling, but then again Jack wasn't sure he'd ever seen him smile.

Jack sure did though, and he smiled up at all the dour faces watching him; Janet with her black eye, Daniel with his bruised face and just as equally bruised feelings, and then there was Carter with her look of distress.

Jacob didn't look like anything much to Jack; maybe his snake was used to fuckups beyond all repair.

"Why so frowny faced?" Jack made a halfhearted struggle against his bonds, just for the heck of it. He could feel that the drugs were already wearing off, but Jack decided it was best to play possum and pretend as if they were still doing the trick. He widened his grin and batted his eyelashes at his friends, laughing out loud. It felt good to let the laughter free, let it rumble from deep in his chest. He hadn't had a good laugh in a long time.

"We'll have to transport Jack to my ship," Jacob said.

"That means going through the 'gate," Carter said.

Jack nodded and slowed his breathing, attempting to relax. Daniel was staring at him, one corner of his lips curled. It wasn't a smile because there was worry in his so very blue eyes. No one else was watching except Daniel, and Jack pursed his lips and blew him a kiss. Daniel's eyes went wide and he checked to see that no one had seen what Jack had done, then he looked back down at Jack and shook his head in rebuke, his throat bobbing up and down in obvious nervousness.

Jack had tuned everyone else out, and he watched only Daniel, drinking in every motion, every movement. Daniel's hands waved in the air. There was an argument starting, and all the voices filled the room at once with Daniel voicing Jack's thoughts. "What's to argue about? This is a no-brainer. We have to get these things off," Daniel said, waving at his own temple and then gesturing at Jack.

Irresistibly drawn by the sight and sound, Jack lifted up off the bed and strained toward Daniel. Janet eyed him with fear in her expression. "I think we have a big problem," Janet said. The others turned to where she was watching Jack.

Jack smiled and waved with one trapped hand. "Nothing to see here, folks. Move right along," Jack said.

"The drugs barely work. By my estimate," Janet said, looking at her watch, "they worked for about an hour before they wore off." She placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. Jack hated that pinched sour face of hers. It was ugly. "Am I right, Colonel?"

Jack just smiled without saying a word.

"I will have to double the dose for transport through the gate, but I can't risk too many injections. We have no idea what it would do to him." Janet looked worried. "If only I had more time to figure out how to counteract the device."

"You have one hour to come up with something," General Hammond said.

Janet nodded and moved to fill another syringe. "This should do the trick and isn't as dangerous when used over a long period of time." She looked to Hammond. "It's the best I can do, sir on such short notice. I'll prepare a package of doses for the trip."

Jack paid them no mind. He focused all his attention on Daniel who'd moved in closer, lowering his head to look down at Jack. Daniel looked tired and his shoulders sagged, and Jack decided that wouldn't do. Jack wanted something else out of Daniel, but it wasn't the time or the place. He began to formulate a plan in his mind, thinking that maybe later, when they were alone he could get what he wanted.

"Jack," Daniel said, reaching out and placing a cool hand on Jack's forehead. "I know you can fight this thing."

Jack took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, while Janet jabbed him once again with her evil needle. He muttered an expletive at her, but either she didn't hear or she chose to ignore him. Jack fought the drowsy feeling, struggling against his bonds, lifting his head into Daniel's touch. Their gazes locked and Jack mouthed something and as he'd hoped, Daniel leaned in closer to hear what he was saying.

Jack strained to get as close as Daniel would allow. His lips brushed Daniel's ear and he crushed the desire to hurt bite and tear the tender flesh. "I'm sorry ahead of time for everything I do," Jack said. Each word brushed against and blew back from Daniel's ear, returning shivers of pleasure to Jack.

"I know, Jack," Daniel said. He pressed his cheek against Jack, maintaining the sweet contact even as Jack closed his eyes and drifted into an all-encompassing blackness.

* * *

The pain was manageable, almost, so he stayed away as long as he could.

Unable to wait any longer, Daniel walked into the embarkation room with his backpack slung over one shoulder. For one fleeting moment, he felt his heart contract in his chest. Jack was there but not to check and make sure Daniel had everything the way Jack usually did before a mission.

Daniel consoled himself by observing that at least Jack wasn't conscious. He looked peaceful with his eyes closed and his hands strapped to the stretcher, the ever-present device on his temple blinking green, a constant reminder of what was going on. Daniel reached up and touched the twin of the device on his own temple.

 _If only I hadn't trusted the people of P3X 933._

Sam stood off to one side, head bent in a whispered conversation with her father. Teal'c stood at the head of the stretcher. It was obvious that he was lost in thought, but Daniel could only guess what those thoughts were. A team of soldiers with their weapons at ready stood in the 'gate room as per standard procedure, while another group of soldiers carried in large supply containers.

They had attempted one more dial out to the planet. It had failed again, leaving their only other option taking a Tel'tak vessel to P3X 933 - a six-day trip at best speed. Daniel dreaded the thought of what would happen to Jack during those days. His condition kept getting worse, and Janet was afraid of what the long-term effect of keeping Jack drugged would do to him, yet leaving Jack conscious had its own perils.

In addition to those concerns, Daniel had other things on his mind, such as the fact Jack had kissed him. He still had no idea whether it was nothing more than the mind device, and the distress he felt at the possibility permeated his every waking thought. Even when he deliberately tried not to think about the incident, Daniel found his thoughts drifting in that direction.

Daniel noted that Teal'c moved a few paces to his left, standing between Jack and him. He knew that Teal'c meant well - his instinct to protect all his friends was strong - but Daniel felt panic rising in his chest when Jack wasn't in his immediate view. Despite that, the plan had been for Daniel to stay in the front section of the cockpit while Jack would ride in the cargo section, but Daniel felt an increase in his anxiety at the thought. He would just have to manage the problem the best he could.

The stargate whooshed to life and established a stable wormhole. Daniel stood up and slung his pack over his shoulder, though he couldn't say whether he had everything he needed for the trip. He watched the men carry the crates of supplies through the event horizon, shuffling closer to Jack, brushing a hand across Jack's arm to feel the sense of panic subside.

After Selmak walked through the gate following the supplies, Sam approached Daniel, offering him a reassuring smile. Teal'c and another soldier, whose name Daniel noted was Frost, each took an end of the stretcher.

"Everything is going to be okay," Sam said.

Daniel watched Teal'c and Frost walk up the ramp, taking Jack with them. His heart sped up, anticipating his reaction when Jack vanished through the gate to reappear millions of miles away. Sam urged Daniel into action, and they walked together to the edge of the ramp, but they were too late. Before they could cross the threshold, pain stabbed through Daniel's head as Jack disappeared. He doubled over from the sheer agony. Sam screamed out for help, Daniel felt hands on either side taking him by the elbows and rushing him up the ramp, and then Daniel took a deep breath before running through the event horizon.

On the other side, Daniel released the breath slowly, realizing he'd lost any chance for hiding the device's effect from Sam. There was no way to avoid having her worry and insisting that Daniel tell her in detail what it was doing to him. Nonetheless, Daniel reassured Sam that he was fine.

Teal'c and Frost, still carrying the stretcher that Jack lay on, headed toward the ship, which sat within sight of the stargate. Daniel rushed to help move the supplies into the cargo hold, dropping his own pack off to one side as he entered the ship. He watched as Teal'c and Frost set Jack down and positioned the stretcher off to one side away from the ring transport before they left to help with the supplies.

Daniel took the opportunity to check on Jack's condition, kneeling down beside him. He was still unconscious, and Daniel touched Jack on his arm.

"Jack," Daniel said. "How do I always get you into these messes?" Daniel reached out to caress Jack's cheek, but then remembered where he was, and quickly withdrew his hand. It was neither the time nor the place for such forward behavior.

Daniel jumped up from where he knelt and turned to find Teal'c standing just behind him, a cargo crate in his hands. Embarrassed, he ducked his head and rushed past Teal'c to help with more supplies. After everything they'd need was on board, the extra men went back home through the gate. There would be no other personnel going on the journey with them besides Teal'c, Sam, Jacob, Daniel and Jack. Janet had wanted to go along, but the ship would have been much too crowded, so they had brought pre-prepared doses of the drugs just in case. Daniel hoped they wouldn't need to use a single dose, because he hated the idea of what they might do to Jack.

Jacob took the first shift at the controls, starting the vessel while Sam made a final report to General Hammond. After she came aboard, Teal'c stayed in the cargo hold with Jack and Daniel while Sam remained forward with Jacob.

Daniel took a seat opposite from Teal'c. From his vantage point, he could see Jack, who was still unconscious. Pulling his pack close to rest it against his crossed legs, Daniel kept his gaze on Jack while he pulled out his notebook. Jack looked peaceful and serene, yet Daniel couldn't imagine how he'd survive this trip. It hurt him to see Jack that way. It hurt when any of the members of SG-1 were injured or sick.

He glanced up at Teal'c who was organizing the supply cases - most likely for something to do. Daniel set his book aside and stood, walking to Teal'c's side. "Did you need some help with those?" Daniel asked, motioning at the cases with one hand.

Teal'c paused in his task and set down the case he was holding. "I would appreciate your assistance, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said with a graceful incline of his head.

Working together in companionable silence, they organized the crates up against one wall, setting some of the smaller, less-essential cases out of the way in bulkhead compartments. Daniel paused and examined the layout, his hands resting on his hips.

"I believe you are contemplating something, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

Daniel turned his gaze to Teal'c, realizing he'd gotten lost in his contemplation. "Oh, right. I was just wondering where you could kelno'reem." Daniel tapped a finger on his bottom lip. "I was thinking that if we arranged some of these crates right, you could get some privacy." Daniel motioned with hand gestures to indicate what he meant.

"You need not concern yourself. I will manage without difficulty, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c folded his hands behind his back and regally swept his gaze around the cargo hold.

Daniel couldn't tell by his expression what he was thinking, but then that was always the case with Teal'c. He wasn't easy to read with his stoic demeanor and his stiff posture.

"Look, Teal'c," Daniel said, feeling his chest flutter with nervous tension. He needed to release the tension before it built up to a point where it became an embarrassment. "I know that you feel you need to protect me from Jack, but you also need to remember this is Jack we're talking about here. I really don't need you to watch over me."

Teal'c had moved as Daniel spoke - probably without even realizing he had - so that he stood between Daniel and Jack. Daniel pointed over Teal'c's shoulder at Jack, imploring Teal'c with his expression as well as his words.

"I do not wish for any harm to come to you, Daniel Jackson, and I know that O'Neill would also desire this."

"I do get that, but it's not necessary." Daniel sighed and fought the increasing urge to rush to Jack. The lack of contact was taking its toll on him and he could feel a nauseating tug deep in his gut. He needed to convince Teal'c that Daniel didn't need him to protect him from Jack. "I mean it, Teal'c." Anger burned in Daniel's chest and he leaned in closer, staring at Teal'c. "I don't need you to baby sit me."

Before Daniel could say more, Sam entered the cargo compartment. She looked from Daniel to Teal'c and then her gaze swept over to Jack. Daniel slowly backed away from Teal'c, his shoulders tensed and his head pounding in mounting agony. The longer he stayed away from Jack, the harder it became, but Daniel was determined to show that he could handle the stress. He felt the device on his temple pulsating with warmth, and he grazed it with a shaky hand.

Daniel glanced at Sam. He'd been so busy with his own trauma that he hadn't had much time to consider how what had happened was affecting her on an emotional level. It was probably difficult for her. Jack was usually the one calm and in charge.

"Dad's got everything under control," Sam said. "I thought I'd come back here and help out, but it looks like you've already got everything all organized."

"I will join Selmak," Teal'c said and left before Daniel could object or ask him to stay. He regretted Teal'c's abrupt departure, feeling a thread of discord wound tight between them unsure how to diffuse the potentially explosive situation.

Daniel somehow summoned a smile and returned to the little nest he'd built for himself earlier. He squatted and shifted his pack in order to sit cross-legged. Sam walked over to check Jack's vitals, Daniel ached with each contact she made, the device sending a slight shock through his head, and Daniel squinted from the mild pain thinking that there was no way that constant pain of varying levels was the device's intended use - what good would it be if it scrambled someone's internal logic? It didn't make any sense to him.

Jack was still very much asleep, and it was going to be a very long trip. Lucky for Daniel, he'd brought work along. He set the scroll he'd been working on to his left, catching a few movements out of the corner of his eye. Arranging his notebook across his knees, he entered some rambling notes, and tried not to watch Sam. When Sam finished her examination and walking over to him, Daniel smiled up at her. She sat down, taking it as an invitation.

"The colonel is stable," Sam said. "I'm not sure when he'll regain consciousness. Janet didn't say how long he'd be under, but it can't be that much longer." Sam checked her watch.

Daniel just nodded, gaze focused on Jack. When he didn't say anything, Sam placed a hand on Daniel's arm and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"It's going to be okay." She squeezed him again.

Daniel nodded, his gaze going distant in sudden weariness. "You keep saying that," he said with a weary sigh. He set his notebook aside and took his glasses off, rubbing at his tired eyes.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Sam said. Her voice was soft and filled with concern.

Daniel knew she meant well. She always did - and he adored Sam - but wished she were somewhere else. He stared without his glasses at Jack's blurry figure. There was movement, and Daniel rushed to put his glasses back on.

Jack was regaining consciousness. His head lolled to one side and he pulled against his bonds. "Hey," Jack said, still groggy from the drugs. He tugged against his bonds again.

Sam stood up and walked over to Jack's side, crouching down on his left, and placing a hand on his shoulder. Daniel felt a flare of anger in his chest at her presumption then he took a deep breath, knowing that his reaction was the device controlling his emotions. He was determined not to allow it to dictate how he felt. Nevertheless, even as he told himself that, his body tensed with fear at the thought of Jack being awake, but at the same time, he felt an aching need deep inside.

Daniel clenched his jaw and crawled across the few feet between them. He stopped beside Sam and looked down at Jack, who smiled back at Daniel, his pupils wide in his dark, unreadable eyes.

"Hi, Daniel," Jack said, sounding almost cheerful. His bicep flexed and he clenched his hand into a fist.

Daniel flinched and reared back, braced for a blow that couldn't happen.

Jack's gaze focused on Sam. "You can untie me now, Carter," Jack said. He sounded reasonable and so much like his normal self that Daniel found himself reaching for the wrist restraints.

Sam stopped Daniel, shoving his hand away. "I'm sorry, sir," Sam said, and she did sound sorry. Daniel knew how much Sam hated to disobey an order that came from Jack, but she was in charge of this mission. "But you aren't in command here. The general gave me temporary command of SG-1."

Daniel was afraid of how Jack would react to this news. He watched the expression on Jack's face, expecting an explosion. When nothing happened, he felt relieved.

"Just until we get you all squared away, sir," Sam said.

"Well, how the hell am I supposed to eat, shave or take a piss?" Jack flexed both arms, straining against his bindings again. He tried to sit up, but the restraint across his chest made the move impossible.

"We've got it covered, sir."

One of Jack's brows went up. "Oh?" he scoffed. "You plan on holding my dick for me?"

Daniel sucked in a deep breath at the shocking bluntness of the words, realizing that they meant Jack wasn't any better. The hint of glee in Jack's eyes showed that he was hoping to get a reaction out of both of them. Sam gave him what he was looking for by scrambling to stand and walking to the other side of the bay, out of Jack's sight. She stood there for a moment with one hand on her mouth covering her expression of shock, and then she shook her head and stalked from the cargo bay to the cockpit, leaving Daniel alone with Jack.

"We have to do this, Jack," Daniel said. He leaned closer to Jack, feeling the pull toward him, as if he were a planet caught in Jack's orbit. Daniel knelt down beside Jack, resting an elbow on one raised knee.

"I know," Jack said. He nodded his agreement. "Could I at least sit up? My ass is starting to fall asleep here."

Daniel reached for the binding across Jack's chest and fumbled with the buckle. Forced to lean over Jack and rest one elbow on his chest, Daniel almost lost his balance. Jack managed to jut one elbow out and tip him over, knocking Daniel down to sprawl across Jack's hips.

"Much better," Jack said. He chuckled and raised a knee enough, even with both his ankles restrained, to squeeze Daniel's rib cage.

Daniel scrambled off Jack, falling to the floor. It was less than a foot to drop, but Daniel jarred his right elbow when he hit the floor, and he doubled over in pain. He scrambled backwards from Jack, his gaze locked on Jack to be certain that he didn't somehow escape. Daniel stopped when he felt the wall behind him, curled his arms around himself, and stared at Jack, still feeling off-balance. Jack was the picture of innocence as he stared back.

Sam returned from the cockpit, her composer back in place. Either she chose to ignore any tension in the atmosphere or Daniel hid his discomfort well. She pulled out rations and distributed them, giving Daniel one for him and another for Jack. They'd decided that they would take turns feeding Jack, though Daniel had pointed out that they could avoid the need if they loosened one of Jack's arms long enough for him to eat. After what had just happened, Daniel realized Jack was much too resourceful and dangerous for that option.

They lowered the stretcher so that it was closer to the floor and then raised the upper half so that Jack could sit up. It was disconcerting that Jack didn't say a word while all this was happening. Daniel could feel his dark eyes following him wherever he went, somehow making Daniel feel naked. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled and the low-level buzz in his head made Daniel's brain vibrate with tension.

Daniel sat cross-legged beside Jack and bent his head to gobble his food, while Sam sat a few feet behind Jack out of his sight, her gaze focused on Daniel as she ate. Once Daniel was finished, he set the empty packet aside and tried to spoon some of Jack's into his mouth. When Jack refused to open his mouth, Daniel nudged his lips with the spoon.

"Come on, Jack," Daniel said with a sigh. "How is it going to help if you don't eat? I know this isn't the ideal situation, but you need to keep up your strength." He lowered the spoon and sat back when Jack still refused to open his mouth.

"The food sucks," Jack said after a few more moments of silence.

"It always sucks." Daniel shrugged and looked up at Sam, who had finished her own meal and stood, motioning at the front section before leaving them alone.

"Is Carter gone?"

Daniel nodded.

"Good," Jack said, shifting his shoulders, and wiggling his hips. "I'd rather not have her around just now."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Daniel said. Though he fought the stab of guilt, it returned and nestled deep in his chest. Daniel raised the spoon and, this time, Jack opened wide.

It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

The first two days on board the ship seemed to last forever. Daniel didn't sleep well, only managing to get any sleep at all when Jack slept. He'd realized that whenever Jack awoke, Daniel would wake right afterward. Sam administered the pre-measured drug doses Janet had provided only when they had to remove Jack from his restraints. During those periods, Jack was docile enough to manage. Either Daniel or Teal'c fed Jack, while Teal'c handled Jack's bathroom visits. If Jack tried anything with Teal'c during them, he never made mention of it.

By the fourth day, Daniel was convinced that they were going to be able to make it to the end without much more than a bruised ego here or there. He noticed that Jack stayed quiet for most of the time Daniel was in the same room with him. Daniel couldn't be sure why but hoped that it was because Jack was too busy fighting the programming of the device. His own headaches seemed manageable as long as he popped a few Tylenols each morning. After four days though, Daniel felt itchy and in desperate need of a shower. Without a show or bathtub, the sink, in what passed for a bathroom, would have to do for washing up.

They took turns watching over Jack, the others staying hidden in the cockpit or coming up with any excuse not to be near him when it wasn't their watch, and it was Daniel's watch now. Sitting off to the side, with Jack in his line of sight, Daniel held a shaving mirror in one hand and razor in the other. He cleaned the razor after each stroke, dipping it into the water dish set in front of him. Jack watched with great interest, his own facial hair longer than Daniel had ever remembered seeing it get.

"Could you do me next?" Jack asked. His left brow rose in a teasing arc.

Daniel paused and stared at Jack with his mouth open. Daniel was almost sure there was a double entendre in there somewhere.

"I don't think so, Jack." Daniel shook his head and cleaned the razor again, lifting it to his cheek to scrape downward.

"Come on, Daniel," Jack said. He shifted in his bindings, which Teal'c had adjusted after bringing Jack back from a bathroom break.

"Why didn't you tell Teal'c you needed to shave?" Daniel let the razor dangle from his fingers, and stared at Jack. His stubble wasn't too long, and Daniel had the fleeting thought that it was a good look for Jack.

Daniel turned his attention back to his task, pushing thoughts of Jack and his attractive, stubbly appearance from his mind. Not only were they on a mission, but Sam or Teal'c could walk in at any moment.

Although Sam might not come back very soon after the last round of profanity Jack had hurled at them just before his last injection to calm him down.

"He won't let me have any sharp objects," Jack said, twisting in his bindings again.

Daniel nodded once and finished his own shave before standing and going to the bathroom to empty the dirty water and refill the bowl. He rinsed out the razor and put it back in his shaving kit, and then he retrieved Jack's personal kit.

"I don't want any funny business," Daniel said, pointing an accusing finger at Jack. He set the bowl and Jack's kit down on the floor and lowered the stretcher to put Jack as close to the floor as possible. Daniel knelt beside Jack and sat back on his legs, not sure what he was doing because he'd never shaved anyone else before.

"You could just loosen one of my arms so I could do it myself," Jack said. He wiggled his hips and waved with the fingers of one hand.

"I could," Daniel said. He had a better idea. He hated having to do it, but it was a better choice than risking Jack's escape and the consequences. Daniel knew that Jack would hate himself more if anything bad happened.

Daniel stood up and went over to the pack that held the drug doses. He pulled out a pre-prepared syringe and returned to kneel beside Jack.

"Ah, no, Danny," Jack said. He struggled against his bonds, and moved his head from side to side. "I hate how that stuff makes me feel."

"I know, but it's working, Jack," Daniel said. He lowered his gaze to help tune out Jack's objections.

"But I'm already calm," Jack said. "I promise to be good." He leveled a composed gaze at Daniel. "Besides, Carter dosed me not that long ago."

Daniel withdrew the needle. Jack did seem calm already and he hated doing this just as much as Jack did. Daniel set the unused needle down beside Jack's leg on the stretcher. Jack nodded a thanks and Daniel smoothed a hand alone his arm, feeling the muscles relax beneath his touch. Jack smiled up at him and nodded, taking a deep breath.

Jack nodded again and closed his eyes. "Thanks," Jack said.

Daniel squeezed Jack's shoulder and smoothed his hand over Jack's collar before jerking away from the touch, knowing it was wrong because Jack couldn't defend himself or reciprocate. The problem was the urge to touch Jack was so strong that Daniel found it harder each time to resist.

Aware that he should finish as fast as possible, Daniel stood and adjusted the stretcher so that Jack was sitting almost upright, then quickly lathered Jack's cheeks and chin with the shaving cream. Daniel stopped for a quick examination and found that Jack was in a state of relaxation, his gaze following Daniel's every move, though he remained silent.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel silently reminded himself that he could handle something as simple as shaving another man, and he walked behind Jack. He reached around, stretching over Jack to scrape the razor over his cheek. Jack remained motionless, his eyes rolled up to look at Daniel's partly inverted face. The intense stare unnerved Daniel, making his hand shaky, and he pulled the razor away to rinse it off in the clean water. His own gaze wandered down the length of Jack's body, and Daniel felt his cheeks heat up when he noticed Jack's half-hard dick. He tried to avoid Jack's eyes, but when Daniel finally did look back at him to continue the shave, Jack smirked and winked.

"Why don't you just loosen one of my arms, Danny, and I'll finish?" Jack suggested.

Daniel averted his gaze, but then he couldn't help looking down Jack's torso again. He hadn't been mistaken. He licked his dry lips and took a deep breath. He told himself that he could finish, he had to, but then his gaze wandered down there again, and there was Jack's arousal plain enough for anyone to see. Daniel's discomfort had reached its plateau. There was no way he could finish the shave without compromising that comfort further. What was the harm in releasing one of Jack's arms to allow him to finish the shave? He set the razor down and scrambled to undo Jack's right arm. The moment that Jack was free, he raised his arm and wiggled his fingers.

"Thanks," Jack said.

Daniel cleared his throat and looked away, holding the razor up for Jack to take. There was a rattle of metal and, when Jack didn't take the razor from his hand right away, Daniel glanced up, but too late. He'd forgotten about the syringe and his heart clench with fear when he felt the prick of the needle. He scrambled away as Jack freed both his arms and sat up with a smile on his face.

"Don't," was all Daniel managed. His heart thumped with fear, and he struggled to get as far away as possible. He should have cried out, but his throat felt too constricted, the drugs already taking effect. All he could think was that Sam was on the other side of the bulkhead and she'd hear him, she could stop Jack. They could stop Jack.

Jack undid the straps on his ankles and rolled off the stretcher. He crawled toward Daniel on his hands and knees like a predator after his prey. His narrowed eyes and the shaving cream still on his cheeks made Jack look insane. He scooped Daniel up in his arms, settled him between his legs, and pressed him close. Daniel's body had already started to go numb. Jack must have injected him with the complete dose of the drug.

"I know what you want, Daniel," Jack said, stroking his chest with one hand.

Daniel shivered at the touch of Jack's lips against his ear, the words crawling down his spine and settling in his gut. Daniel tried to shake his head in denial, but it was too heavy to move under the influence of the drugs.

"I see you watching me all the time," Jack continued. He held the razor up in his hand and scraped it across his own cheek, wiping the dirty blade on Daniel's shirt. "I see your pretty blue eyes staring, and I wonder what that hungry look means."

"No." Even as he slurred the word, Daniel felt his heart thump harder at the lie. Daniel managed to tilt his head to an awkward angle, one where he could see Jack's jaw line. He watched in silence while Jack finished the shave and swiped his hand over his smooth jaw and cheeks.

"I like it smooth. How about you?"

Daniel hoped that someone would come in and check on them, but it wasn't time for the next shift. Sam never ventured in the compartment unless she had to, and Teal'c spent most of his time helping to fly the ship. Daniel was alone.

Jack pulled Daniel in closer and settled them both up against a bulkhead, out of sight of the doorway to the cockpit. Daniel tried to raise his hand to shove himself away, but Jack took the hand in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. Pressed close against Jack's warm chest, Daniel could feel Jack's hardness against him. Jack touched the device on Daniel's temple and stroked down Daniel's cheek sending shivers through Daniel and a buzzing through his head.

"You do this to me," Jack said. He mouthed Daniel's cheek and nibbled on his earlobe and the arm across Daniel's chest loosened. "Jesus, I just can't help myself."

Daniel shook his head, leaned forward, and then slammed back as hard as he could manage, throwing Jack off balance. Daniel yanked from his grip and scrambled forward but, before he could get more than a few feet away, Jack was on top of him in a full body pin, their arms and legs tangled together, Jack covering Daniel's mouth with his hand to stop him from screaming. Daniel thrashed and struggled with every ounce of strength he could muster despite the drugs, but Jack overpowered him with ease. In the end, Daniel lay struggling for breath underneath Jack, his weight pressing down on Daniel, his leg between Daniel's spread legs.

Moaning, Jack thrust against Daniel with his eyes closed. When he opened them again, Daniel could see Jack struggling with something, control or maybe his lust. He slid down and settled up against Daniel, his groin pressed against Daniel's thigh. Daniel could feel his erection, hard and hot even through all the fabric.

"Don't call out," Jack said. His hand still covered Daniel's mouth and he raised the other with one finger up to shush him. "You wouldn't want Carter to catch us like this."

Daniel shook his head and took a deep breath when Jack slid his hand down to wrap it around Daniel's throat. With a shiver, Daniel swallowed down his fear. He had to believe that the dark brown eyes that looked back at him without hate meant Jack was in control.

"What are you planning on doing?" Daniel blinked up at Jack. He felt sleepier with each passing second, even though he continued to fight the drugs coursing through his system.

Jack caressed Daniel's neck and shoulder, his touch firm.

"I just wanted to be free," Jack said. He wrapped his hand around the back of Daniel's neck, his fingers playing with the short hairs. "Has anyone ever told you that for a guy you have really soft hair?"

The absent stroking of Jack's fingers sent shivers through Daniel and he knew that he couldn't fight the drowsy feeling much longer.

He raised a numb hand and tried to wrap his arm around Jack, but Jack easily pushed it back down. Daniel licked his dry lips and closed his eyes, hoping that Jack wouldn't do anything they would all regret later.

Daniel opened his eyes at the press of a firm kiss against his mouth, clumsy and awkward. Jack wrapped his body around Daniel, sliding up to change the angle of his head before trying again. Despite his drugged state, Daniel felt himself getting hard, and Jack's thigh pressed perfectly against his erection, grinding and sliding.

Daniel's entire body tingled as he struggled against the darkness and fought the drug's effects.

"You're kind of overdressed for the party," said Jack, then he was off Daniel, who whimpered at the sudden loss of body contact. Jack pulled him up to a sitting position yanked Daniel's jacket off, and tossed it aside, and then crouched down beside Daniel.

Daniel flopped down onto the floor, limbs numb. From his awkward angle, his face pressed to the floor, he could see Jack yank his t-shirt from his pants. Daniel urged his body to move, to get away before it went too far. Daniel forced himself up onto his hands and knees and scrambled away from Jack, rounding a corner to hide behind cargo crates.

"Daniel," Jack said. "Is this any way to treat your commanding officer?"

As his voice grew closer, Daniel rolled and crawled along the floor until he reached the crate with the drug doses. Pulling up to a sitting position, Daniel leaned against the crate, reaching inside with numb fingers. He dropped the syringe, and it fell to the floor with a soft ping and rolled away.

"I know you're scared, but I promise I won't hurt you." Jack's voice was getting too close, and Daniel's heart jackhammered in his chest when he dropped another syringe. Tears of frustration pricked his eyes as he crawled away from the crate, chasing after the fallen syringe.

"I know you won't hurt me, Jack," Daniel said. He should have called out for help, but there was no way he could let them see Jack so out of control. He knew he had to talk to him, to somehow break through and make Jack understand. In the meantime, Daniel's struggle against the drug coursing through his veins was working. Though he still felt numb, he had regained some control of his faculties.

"I know what you're thinking," Jack said.

"No, you don't, Jack." By the sound of Jack's voice, Daniel knew he had to be a few feet from him just around the corner. Daniel crawled along the floor, pushing the syringe before him, watching it role across the floor. He fell forward, fumbling the syringe in his numb fingers. Somehow, he didn't know how, Daniel managed to remove the syringe from its plastic-sealed bag. He held it ready. Jack would be here any second.

Then he was there, his breath hot against the back of Daniel's neck. Daniel jumped and spun around, jabbing at any body part close by. He stabbed Jack in the arm with the syringe and pushed the plunger down, emptying the syringe and filling Jack full with the drug.

"Ouch, that hurt." Jack looked stunned, but still managed to yank the syringe out and take Daniel's shaking hand in his. He pulled Daniel in close, cradling Daniel's head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," Daniel said. He tried to pull away from Jack, but the dose hadn't taken effect yet, and Jack was much too strong. Daniel went limp in his embrace, staring up at Jack's narrowed eyes. He hoped the confused expression meant the drug was starting to work, and Jack was regaining more control from the device.

"Thanks," Jack said. He cupped Daniel's face with one hand and kissed him on the lips, soft and openmouthed. Jack's wet tongue licked at Daniel's slack mouth, then Jack fell forward, atop Daniel, his eyelids falling shut. When Daniel was sure that Jack was unconscious, he pushed Jack off, rolling him onto his back. Daniel noted that Jack's belt was undone, and he swiped a shaky hand across his moist lips, terrified at what might have happened. He couldn't think about that now. He reached out and buckled the belt, his fingers trembling so hard he only just managed.

With the adrenaline rush worn off, Daniel could barely move, so he collapsed beside Jack, one arm slung across Jack's chest. He yanked his glasses off and pressed his face in the notch of Jack's shoulder, fighting the sobs that threatened to escape, knowing he had to get his shit together. There was no time for an anxiety attack, but the thought of trying to get Jack back on the stretcher under his own steam, filled Daniel with dismay. Too tired to move, Daniel closed his eyes, giving in to the darkness.

* * *

Daniel's neck felt stiff and his head hurt.

After a few moments spent wondering why, Daniel opened his eyes to stare up at the blurry landscape. He had no idea where he was, and then someone touched his arm. Daniel turned his head as far as he could in his awkward position, and squinted at Sam's fuzzy image.

 _Jack._

Daniel bolted upright and regretted the motion the moment his head began to swim. He clutched at his temple, groaning from the hung-over feeling.

"How do you feel?" Sam sat cross-legged beside him.

Daniel only shook his head and raised his knees close to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. Cheeks flushed, Daniel kept his head lowered in embarrassment, using the excuse that his head hurt. He accepted the glasses she offered and held them in one hand, grinding the other palm against his eyelids in an attempt to drive the fuzzy feeling away. His brain felt slow, so slow and he rubbed harder.

When he finally raised his head again, he could make out that he was sitting on the other side of the cargo hold, away from Jack's stretcher. Daniel slid his glasses on and swept his gaze over the hold. Jack was strapped back on the stretched, but from where Daniel sat, he couldn't tell if Jack was asleep or awake. The rest of what had happened came back to Daniel in vivid detail. He lowered his head again, and buried his face in his arms.

"I...I'm fine," Daniel said. His voice shook a little, and he tightened his arms around his legs in an attempt to quell the shudders he felt when he thought about what had almost happened with Jack.

"Why did you let the colonel out of his restraints?"

Daniel could hear a hint of accusation in her tone. He looked up at her stern face and shook his head.

"I didn't let..." Daniel started to say but that wasn't entirely true. It was his fault. He'd compromised Jack, and now he'd have to live with the consequences. "I thought he was drugged enough from the last injection and didn't see the harm in loosening one strap so he could..." Daniel swiped a trembling hand over his mouth and shook his head.

"From now on, no one is with him alone," Sam said. From her severe tone, Daniel could tell she meant business.

Daniel buried his face in his arms, hidden away from the world. When he heard the rustle of fabric that meant Sam had stood, he peeked out and watched her walk away from him toward Jack. He didn't stir at her approach. Daniel lowered his arms and stretched out his legs, trying to get a better view.

"He could have killed you, Daniel," Sam said. She turned her gaze on him, her expression at once accusative and empathetic. She stood beside the stretcher and stared down at Jack.

"He wouldn't," Daniel said.

Sam scrambled to her feet and stalked over to where Daniel sat. She placed her hands on her hips and stared down at him and, from that angle, she looked mad. Daniel squinted up at her and gulped, unnerved by her intense glare.

"He's dangerous," Sam said. She leaned against a cargo crate and lowered her head. "In his present state, he's not Jack."

"I know," Daniel said. Angered by her words, Daniel swayed to his feet, shaking the fuzzy feeling from his head. "Don't you think I know that? He still wouldn't hurt me. He had plenty of time, Sam, and he didn't. He's fighting this thing." Frustrated at Sam's unwavering stern expression, Daniel bit down on what he wanted to say. He shut away the thoughts of what could have happened.

"No, you obviously don't know," Sam said. She straightened and narrowed her eyes at Daniel. He'd never seen her so angry before, her usual soft eyes blazing with frustration as she walked toward him. "You have no idea what the colonel is capable of doing to you if he put his mind to it."

"I've been with you guys for years, Sam. I know Jack." He saw that his jacket still lay on the floor where Jack had tossed it earlier. Fighting a wave of nausea at the memories, Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and leaned forward with one hand on his hip.

"Are you two crazy kids fighting over me?"

Daniel and Sam both turned their heads at the same time. "Sir," Sam said. She took a step closer to Jack and stopped.

Jack craned his neck to try to see them, but they stood out of his field of vision. Daniel's heart thumped in his chest, then the device on his temple sent a jolt through him, and he flinched from the slight shock.

"We'll be there soon, sir," Sam said. She shot Daniel a warning look and moved to stand beside the stretcher, where Jack lay at hip height. Sam checked his pulse, her tight smile looking more than a little strained. "How are you feeling, sir?"

Daniel moved closer, staying out of Jack's peripheral vision, and he watched Sam take Jack's vital signs. She looked tired and frustrated, and Daniel felt he was partly to blame.

"Good, Carter," Jack finally said. His gaze stayed on Sam as he shifted restlessly on the stretcher.

From where he stood, Daniel could see Jack's left hand fiddling with the restraint. Somehow, Jack had managed to get hold of the edge of the left strap. Sam stood on Jack's right, and Daniel realized that she couldn't see what Jack was doing from her angle.

Daniel rushed forward and yanked the strap from Jack's dexterous fingers, startling both Sam and Jack. They turned their attention to him, and Daniel fell back away from Jack, swallowing hard at his piercing gaze.

Jack smiled. "There you are, Daniel." His gaze swept down and back up Daniel, and Daniel thought it lingered a few moments at his midsection. Then Jack was looking into Daniel's eyes again, leaving Daniel with the impression that he'd imagined Jack's intention.

"Just hang in there, sir," Sam said. She patted Jack's arm for reassurance, and her own gaze moved from Jack to Daniel and settled back on Jack.

"I've got nothing to do except hang here," Jack said. He smirked at Daniel and then winked.

Jacob Carter entered the room at that moment. Daniel rushed away from Jack and sat down at the spot he'd made for himself. He nodded at Jacob and Sam, hoping they would get the hint that he needed some private time. They moved to another corner and their soft conversation floated through the cargo hold, though Daniel couldn't make out any words. He curled his arms around his body and closed his eyes. Their journey couldn't be over soon enough.

* * *

The moment they landed, Jack felt the change.

They were back on that wretched planet and everything was just an obstacle. Everyone ran interference, but it didn't matter. Jack could bide his time. He was patient. All their voices were nothing but the sound of bees, filling his head, and he waited for the buzzing noises around him to subside, but they didn't.

Carter, Teal'c and Daniel left the ship. He could feel Daniel fading away and Jack called out to him, urging Daniel to come back and undo the straps so that they could finish what they'd started, but nothing happened. Daniel was gone, too far away from Jack, and they'd left him alone with the snakehead.

"Come on, get me out of this thing," Jack said. He struggled against the bindings. His movements shook the stretcher, and Jack only paused long enough to see that Selmak had stopped at the entrance to the cargo bay.

The snakehead said something, but Jack couldn't hear it. He squeezed his eyes shut and slammed his head down on the gurney. The strap on his left wrist was looser, and Jack concentrated all his effort on working it free.

"I should have gone with them," Jack said. "I'm the only one who can finish this." He arched his back needing to get out right that second or he'd go insane. The buzzing grew in intensity, and Jack screamed louder for the snake to set him free.

Jacob walked into the cargo bay and stopped in his tracks. His lips moved, but to Jack it sounded like unintelligible noise. Jacob reached for Jack, but Jack's left arm was free and he shoved Jacob away, startling the old man. Jack took the opening, scrambling to undo the straps at his other wrist. Jacob rushed forward mouth open wide, saying something-something-something, but it was all just buzzing; buzz, buzz, buzz, the sound of bees.

With both of Jack's arms freed, he reached out and gripped Jacob by his collar, yanking him over. Jack shouldn't have been able to overpower a Tok'ra, but somehow he managed. Sitting up, Jack grabbed hold of Jacob and slammed his head against the edge of the stretcher, dropping him to scrabble for his leg restraints. Jacob bounced and fell back, but he was upright in an instant, his eyes flashing gold.

"Oh, oh, snakehead in the house," Jack said. With his legs freed, Jack rolled from the gurney and landed on his feet. He shoved the stretcher at Selmak with all his strength, and then fell to his knees, tucked, and rolled. He scooped up a zat and pressed the trigger and, with the weapon armed, Jack spun to his feet and shot Selmak without hesitation. He crumpled to the floor of the ship.

"I need to go now." Jack snapped a thigh holster in place and adjusted the leg strap. There was no time to decide which weapon would do the job. He marched to the weapon's crate shoved the lid off, grabbing a P-90, secured the zat to his belt, and then shoved a handgun in the thigh holster. With the P-90 secured to a lanyard, Jack spun to face the fallen snake, thinking that his enemies had to die. He removed the zat gun from his belt and armed it, pointing it at Selmak, and then Jack shook his head.

 _Wasting time. Other fish to fry._

"You people should learn how to secure an enemy."

Jack closed the weapon and hooked it back on his belt as he turned away, then he paused in his tracks and stared at the exit with his head tilted and an open mouth. The pain was almost gone, replaced by a low-level hum. "You hear that?"

There was no one there able to reply. "One way or another I'm going to end this." Jack felt his body tingle with exuberance and he slapped a fresh magazine in the P90 with a toothy grin.

He stepped out of the ship and into the clearing where the ship sat. The gate was just a kilometer from the village. Jack carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain, taking in the line of trees and the grassy meadow he'd have to cross. The sun was just past midday, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. By his estimate, his team had been gone for almost four hours. He was alone.

The low-level hum in his head changed, and Jack paused to listen.

The forest and surrounding area were silent. Jack mapped a direct path to his team's destination in his mind. He needed to get to the village and find the bastards who'd fucked with his brain, who'd pay with blood for every painful moment.

He moved through to the edge of the tree line, every sense alert for ambush. Jack wished that his team hadn't given their one advantage away by going to talk to the village leaders first. For all they knew, those bastards were in on it all along. If that were the case, he'd burn that bridge when he got to it. He pushed that thought from his mind and trekked through the trees, walking just beside a clear path. From his vantage point, he'd see anyone coming along the path.

Jack slid through the forest unimpeded. He'd make it to the town, find the scumbags, and put nice neat bullet holes right between their eyes. Jack heard the sounds long before he reached the site of the stargate. He stopped just behind a rock outcropping overlooking the gate. Jack lay flat on his belly and pulled his spyglass from its pocket, placing it to his eye to assess the area.

The sounds he'd heard were the sounds of workers, and it looked as though they were excavating the 'gate. Either they'd decided that enough time had passed and the chapa'ai was too useful, or his team had gotten to them and convinced them to unbury the 'gate. Jack swept the area in turn, checking for any signs of his team. When he saw that his people weren't in sight, and he tucked the eyepiece back in his pocket.

Debating whether he should wait until the sun had set to come at them in the cover of darkness, Jack scrunched his brow in consternation. He knew the odds of him making it to his target in the light of day unseen would be low, but that didn't matter. Jack knew what needed doing, and he wasn't going to let anything stand in his way. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the treetops and cloudless sky.

"I vote I go to the village and find that pissant Hedra and show him exactly how I feel about his little experiment," Jack said to the empty air. He shoved off the ground and stood, quickly moving away from his hiding spot. Jack made his way down the slope and around the 'gate, keeping silent.

Jack crept through the thickets to the edge of the village. He clutched his head as the buzz from before returned tenfold, and then he shook the dizzy feeling away and moved forward, tucking his weapon against his side. He checked to be sure that no one was watching. Jack could feel his target ahead. He would find Hedra and he wouldn't let anyone stop him from reaching that bastard.

Moving through the town unseen, Jack stopped at a building that he remembered as the main science building, and flattened up against the wall, his gaze sweeping around to take in his surroundings. When all looked clear, Jack moved forward to flank the left side of the entrance, knowing it was where he needed to go. He could feel it humming in his bones and he touched a hand to the device to feet its warmth against his fingertips. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the green light blinking faster, its glow lighting his hand.

Jack rushed forward, eating up the remaining distance to the front entrance in a few long, swift strides. He raised his weapon, every muscle in his body feeling wound tight, ready to pounce. His mind felt clear and all his training kicked in. Nothing else mattered but his goal.

 _They had said that Jack was the perfect test subject. Was it because of his military training? Is this what they wanted?_

There was no more time to think. Jack slunk into the building. The sound of voices carried down the long corridor, and he moved close enough to make out Hedra's distinct voice. Jack stopped to the left of the entrance of the doorway where the voices came from, where the heavy wooden door stood ajar.

He rushed into the room with his weapon raised and ready to fire. Hedra stood to the left, and Jack rushed forward to aim his weapon at Hedra's chest. "Do not move," said Jack, the thrill of victory filling his chest.

The other voice had belonged to Chassen, who raised his hands in the air, stark fear in his eyes. Hedra didn't look afraid. He had that same cocky expression that he'd worn the last time Jack saw him, which was just fine. Jack would be happy to blow that grin clean off Hedra's face. His finger itched to pull the trigger, but something stopped him.

"Your friends have been here already," Hedra said. He sauntered out of Jack's gun sight with the casual motion of a man who had all the time in the world, which just made Jack want to kill him even more. He followed Hedra's motions around the room, his finger still ready to pull the trigger at any time.

"Don't care," Jack said. "Before I kill you, just tell me one thing. Why us?"

Hedra turned on Jack, and his eyes flashed with rage. "Because I needed a test subject and my government would not approve the use of any of our people," Hedra said, his voice filled with bitter rage. He pointed at Jack. "You, O'Neill, in particular, served as a perfect test subject, what with your brutal ways and your primitive behavior."

Jack lunged forward and shoved the barrel of his weapon against Hedra's chest, forcing the man to step back until he was up against the edge of a table. Jack turned his head to see that Chassen had turned white as a sheet, and Jack noted that even Hedra looked fearful for a second.

"Well be prepared to get a demonstration up close and personal of your experiment, especially the 'primitive' and 'brutal' part," Jack said. He wanted to cut loose, but still something held him back. He tried to squeeze the trigger, and his finger disobeyed the command.

"No, I don't believe that will be necessary," Hedra said. The cocky expression returned in force. He pushed the barrel of Jack's P90 aside. Jack turned it back to point at Hedra, and again Hedra smirked at the action. He narrowed his eyes at Jack and pushed the barrel away again. "Give me your weapon. Now."

Jack fought the command, straining to keep the weapon up and pull the trigger, but he found his body obeying against his will. He lowered the P90 and unclipped it from the lanyard, handing it to Hedra who took the offered weapon and set it aside on a table. He stalked around Jack, eying him up and down with a gloating expression.

"At least that part of the programming worked as it should."

Jack kept his eyes locked on Hedra, turning his head and body to keep the man in his field of vision. Since Hedra had been able to stop him from firing, Jack knew it had to mean that he was under Hedra's control. Jack felt rage building deep inside, willing his body to take his other weapon in hand and fire, even as Hedra plucked the handgun and zat from their holsters and handed them to a hesitant Chassen, who gingerly dropped them on the table next to the P90.

The door burst open and Daniel rushed in.

Hedra stepped away from Jack and raised the hand held device in Jack's direction, and pointing a finger at Daniel.

"Kill him!"

* * *

Daniel heard the voices and breathed a sigh of relief.

After finding Jacob Carter just regaining consciousness in the Tel'tak, they'd decided that they could find Jack faster if they split up. Daniel hadn't been so sure about that. They had no idea what condition Jack would be in by then. Regretting that he was alone, the longer Daniel hesitated outside, the harder it became for him. He finally took a deep breath and burst into the room, taking in the scene with one glance. Jack stood with his back to Daniel while Hedra stood a few feet away from. The weasel, Chassen, stood up against a wall, his eyes wide in terror.

Jack spun to face Daniel, his eyes dark with dangerous intentions, then Hedra yelled the words that froze Daniel on the spot.

"Kill him!" Hedra pointed the control device at Jack and a finger toward Daniel.

The device on Jack's temple flashed to a solid green, fully activated and receiving commands. Jack turned his full attention on Daniel, his usually soft brown eyes locking on Daniel instead of Hedra.

"Jack," Daniel said, holding his arms out in front of himself, even though he knew that wouldn't stop Jack. According to Frellon, once the device was in full operation mode, nothing short of killing the wearer would stop them.

Daniel didn't wait to see what Jack would do next. He spun on the spot and ran out the door full tilt. He knew he could run faster than Jack could and hoped that, maybe if he stayed ahead of him and radioed Sam, they could end this without bloodshed. Daniel rounded a corner and slammed his back against a wall as he thumbed his radio.

"Sam." Daniel kept his voice a low whisper, not wanting to alert Jack to his position.

"Daniel, what is it?" Sam's voice was loud and echoed through the halls. Daniel scrambled to cover the small speaker with his free hand and cupped his hand around it so that he could speak.

"Um, we have a problem," Daniel said. "We're in the science lab." That was the last coherent sentence Daniel managed to whisper. Daniel didn't hear Jack until it was too late. He managed to scream Sam's name one more time before Jack yanked the radio from his hand and pulled it hard enough to snap it off. Daniel used both his hands to shove against Jack, somehow managing to slip out of Jack's grasp and making it two steps away before Jack grabbed for his vest and spun him around.

"Jack, stop," Daniel said. He shook loose again and backed away, pulling his gun from its holster. Daniel felt a cold chill go through him at the thought that he might have to shoot Jack to save his own life. He didn't think he could, but if he had no other choice...

The blank look in Jack's eyes terrified him, and Daniel's hand shook as he backed away from Jack.

"You have to stop, Jack," Daniel said, trying to buy some time. "It's me, Daniel. I'm your friend. Remember me?" Daniel pointed at his own chest, hoping the motion would catch Jack's attention. The tactic seemed to work, so Daniel continued. "We went through the stargate together that first time to Abydos and we saved all those people together."

Jack's blank stare wavered as he moved forward and he shook his head as if it hurt.

Daniel tried again. "Look, Jack. Just come with me and we can get that thing off you," he said. He pointed at his own temple where all that remained was a red spot where they had removed the device. "I got mine taken off. See, Jack. I can help you. We can help you."

Daniel backed away while Jack continued to advance, although not with a tiny hitch in his stride. Daniel made a choice. It was a risk, but Daniel would take any risk for Jack. He meant everything to Daniel. He slid the cartridge from his gun's housing, putting it in his pocket before popping out the bullet in the chamber. The bullet clattered to the floor and the empty weapon followed, leaving Daniel wishing he'd taken the zat gun Teal'c had offered.

"Have to obey," said Jack, the words halting and cold.

Daniel tried to swallow his fear, knowing what Jack could do if he managed to get his hands on him. Jack didn't need a weapon to kill.

"No you don't, Jack." Daniel backed up a few more steps and felt a cold chill go up his spine when he realized that he'd made a fatal error. Slamming up against a wall, he glanced out of the corner of his eyes to his left and his right to find he was out of space and options. Daniel slid along the wall anyway, holding one arm up in front of himself, thinking that maybe disposing of his gun hadn't been such a good idea after all. He probably could have shot Jack in the shoulder or leg and incapacitated him long enough for Sam and Teal'c to arrive.

"Have to obey." Jack parroted his words again in the same dead tone of voice, but Daniel was almost certain he saw a flash of something else in his eyes.

They reached a corner of the end of the hall and Daniel tensed, preparing to knock Jack aside. He bent forward and spread his legs apart even as he said, "No, Jack you don't have to obey. You're your own man. You can fight this thing."

Daniel felt a surge of hope when Jack paused and tilted his head as though he were listening to something. "You can fight it, Jack. Come on, Jack. I know you can fight the device. It's me, Jack. It's Daniel. You would never harm me. Remember. I care about you." Daniel tensed and prepared to rush past Jack. Jack crouched into a fighting stance, and Daniel lunged at him, punching Jack square in the jaw. When Jack's head snapped back from the blow, Daniel almost stopped in his tracks, surprised that his tactic had worked at all. Jack fell back up against a wall, and Daniel didn't hesitate, running past Jack at full tilt, aiming for the exit.

Much to Daniel's horror, the door began to close, sliding shut on silent hinges. Daniel's heart pounded as he slammed one foot in front of the other, not looking back to see where Jack was, but knowing he was likely right behind him.

For a moment, Daniel thought he'd make it, but then the door slammed shut with a resounding bang, vibrating through the floor and into Daniel's feet. He thumped hard against the heavy wooden doorway, jarring his shoulder so that pain shot through his body.

Daniel tried the door to find that it locked tight. With a groan of frustration, Daniel spun around to face the way he had come. Jack was there, stalking toward him as though he had all the time in the world.

The hallway was dead-silent after the loud slam of the door, and a beam of bright sunlight cut through the large stained glass windows, streaming between Jack and Daniel. His chest heaving from exertion, Daniel felt a sting in his eyes. The determined look in Jack's eyes made it clear that he still wasn't getting through to Jack.

"Jack, stop. Please stop." Daniel moved away from the exit since it wasn't going to be his way out. He'd have to make Jack listen. He raised both hands before him, his palms forward in the universal sign for unarmed. "Don't do this. I'm begging you to stop and let me help you. Please."

Jack moved forward, eyes flashing with something besides cold determination. Daniel refused to hope, but he couldn't give up. "I need you, Jack. We all need you. Please fight this thing."

Jack rushed him all at once, and Daniel scrambled backwards too late to run. Jack slammed him up against the wall, the harsh move jarring Daniel's body and making his teeth clack together.

"No, Jack. Stop!" Daniel struggled with all his strength, breaking free for only a second before Jack had him in his grip again. Their bodies pressed close, Daniel reached up and gripped Jack's head with both hands, forcing Jack to look in his eyes. "Stop, please."

Jack's eyes flashed again, and Daniel was sure that he had broken through the haze of the programming, but then Jack raised his hands and grabbed Daniel's arms in an attempt to yank Daniel's hand from him.

"Daniel."

The single word was a bare whisper, and Daniel thought he imagined it because he was so desperate for Jack to hear him, then Jack said his name again.

"Yes, Jack. It's me, Daniel." Pressed so closely together, Daniel could feel Jack's breath on his face and Jack's heart thudding in his chest. There was no getting away from Jack's tight grip. Daniel hoped the others would be there soon.

"Daniel," Jack said. His brows scrunched and his eyes focused on Daniel.

"Yes, Jack, that's it. Keep fighting the device. Sam will be here any second, and we can get that thing off you, too." Daniel's heart pounded in his chest with elation - Jack knew him and their nightmare would end soon - then his heart sank when Jack's eyes became blank once again.

Jack's grip on Daniel's arms tightened and twisted. Daniel bit back the cry of pain and anguish that threatened to take control, shouting, "Fight, Jack, damn it! Fight! You don't take orders from anyone!"

Flailing for something else that might help, Daniel had a crazy thought. He plunged forward and mashed his lips against Jack's mouth. He put every ounce of strength he had left into the kiss, pressing their bodies close together and holding Jack's head in his hands with a firm unwavering grip. Jack wrestled against him, and Daniel lost his balance, his body lifted off the floor as Jack flung him around to slam him up against the wall, almost knocking the wind from Daniel. When Daniel broke the kiss with a gasp of pain, Jack reared back away from him, falling to his hands and knees.

Jack clutched at his head, his mouth open in silent agony. "Daniel, run," Jack said through clenched teeth.

"No, Jack," Daniel said. He absently rubbed at his sore elbow and shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath.

Jack reared up on his knees, hands clenched into fists and arms straining. Daniel stood and watched, helpless to do anything else to help his friend.

Jack flung his head back with his eyes squeezed shut, and then he fell forward, slamming his arms against the floor.

"That's it, Jack. Keep fighting the device." Daniel moved closer a few steps, his heart pounding in his chest. He wouldn't leave Jack. He couldn't. Jack curled inward on his hands and knees, every muscle in his body straining. Daniel could see the sweat on the back of Jack's neck, darkening his hair, and he reached out and placed a gentle hand on Jack's back.

"I! Am!" Jack slammed his palm on the floor, and the harsh slap echoed all around them.

Daniel could see the device on Jack's temple. It blinked from solid green, flashed to yellow, and then stopped flashing at all, minus any color. Jack tensed one more time and went limp, panting with exertion. Daniel caught him in his arms before he collapsed to the hard floor.

"I've got you, Jack," Daniel said. He soothed Jack, rubbing his hand on Jack's sweaty back. Jack clutched Daniel's arm and rocked forward, muttering expletives that would make the toughest of the SGC's marines blush. Daniel kept his hand on Jack's back and his gaze on the device - afraid that it would begin to blink again -, but it remained inactive. He reached up to brush his fingers against the device and sucked in a startled breath when it came away easily from Jack's temple and plunked down into Daniel's hand.

Jack raised his head and turned to stare at the little object that had been the bane of their existence.

"Huh, it's so...small." Jack stared at the inactive device and then glanced up at Daniel. Realizing where he was, he pushed up and away from Daniel's embrace and sat down hard on his butt. He cleared his throat and swiped a hand over his hair before slapping his fingers where the device had been and rubbing.

Daniel didn't see a red tint creeping across the colonel's face - nope, not at all - and Daniel's cheeks hadn't flamed up just a few moments earlier. Daniel looked away unsure what to say or do. He turned the device over in his hand, thinking Sam would probably like to examine the thing.

"How do you feel?" Daniel said after a long moment of silence.

Jack glanced up and stared at Daniel with his mouth agape, as if he'd forgotten Daniel was there. He snapped his jaw shut and shook his head. "I feel like someone who just had his mind messed with."

For a moment, their gazes locked, Daniel thought he saw something hidden in the depths of Jack's eyes and wondered if that would be the moment when they would talk about what had happened between them, with Daniel feeling his heart trying to pound out of his chest at the thought of how he'd explain the kiss.

The longer the silence dragged, the harder Daniel's heart pounded until he was sure it would burst from his chest any second, then Jack reached up, cupped his hand around the back of Daniel's neck, and pressed their foreheads together. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and sighed in relief. He leaned against Jack and decided to savor the moment.

"You're thinking too hard," Jack said. His low voice rumbled through Daniel sending shivers up his spine.

Daniel nodded and smile. Jack was right and, forced to agree that this wasn't the time or the place for thinking too hard, Daniel bit his bottom lip. Later, when they were back on Earth and Daniel was home alone, that was when he could think.

Something slammed against the entrance, and the loud resounding thump made Daniel jump. He pulled away from Jack and scrambled to his feet, turning his back on Jack, needing to pull himself together before anyone walked in. All he wanted them to see was a Daniel Jackson who was very glad because their CO was back intact.

In the meantime, there was something else to worry about, and Daniel concentrated on that - Hedra and his cohorts had escaped.

At that thought, Daniel spun to look at Jack, but Jack was already chasing after them. Daniel jogged across the hallway and unlocked the door, calling to Teal'c and Sam as he went. The door flung open and Teal'c and Sam rushed in, along with the minister and a contingent of armed guards.

Leaving the cleanup to them, Daniel leaned a shoulder against the wall, and stared down at the little device that had given them so much trouble.

* * *

They were back on Earth.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief that the mission was over and his mind belonged to him again. As soon as the stargate on P3X 933 was up and running, the team had gated back home, leaving Jacob Carter to fly back to the Tok'ra world which suited Jack because he wasn't quite ready to face the old guy after the things he'd said to Jacob. Jack knew the device was to blame, but that didn't mean he wasn't sporting a heap of guilt.

Shoving the thoughts into one of the dark corners in his brain, Jack concentrated on the screen before him. The general was expecting his report, and Jack needed to decide what to include and what to neglect to mention. Once point to make was that Carter had the device for examination, one of the conditions they'd agree upon before leaving. Jack wasn't happy with the result of the fiasco, especially the polite request that the Tau'ri leave the planet and not return. The SGC didn't need another failure for Kinsey to bitch about and point to when it came time to reevaluate the importance of the program.

The 'thing' with Daniel was another problem, and Jack still wasn't sure how he was going to handle that little cluster fuck. Jack leaned forward with his elbows on the desk and rubbed the back of his neck. The problem was that Daniel was Jack's best friend and, as wonderfully insane as the situation was, Jack cared about him more than he should. He knew he'd always had feelings for Daniel that he shouldn't.

The fact that said feelings were buried so deep in his brain it had taken an alien device to excavate them didn't matter. The cat was out of the bag. However, Jack still had his command and his career and rules to consider and, until those changed, nothing could be done about his feelings. Besides, Daniel was a guy and Jack had always been straight as an arrow. Jack figured he could just rebury his feelings and, as long as Daniel kept his trap shut....

Round and round the thoughts went and, just as Jack decided he knew what he'd say to Daniel, should Daniel bring up those anomalies, Jack's brain took off down the same irritating path to tread the same damn ground.

Jack scrubbed his jaw and sighed with frustration. He needed a shave and a haircut, but first he had to get the report finished and filed. It wouldn't do to keep the general waiting.

Just as Jack was about to get down to business, someone knocked on the door to his office. Jack raised a brow and leaned back in his chair. If it was Daniel, he'd have to come up with a plan of action, or he could just tell Daniel that he was too busy to talk, which was the truth.

Jack stood up and smoothed his hair with one hand and then he checked his breath. He straightened his shirt, tugging it lower to cover the excitement of his traitorous body, an interesting reaction he decided he'd have to file away with all those other things he never wanted to think about again for as long as he lived.

"Enter," said Jack, clearing his throat. He quickly checked his fly to be sure he'd zipped after going to the bathroom, and then he crossed his arms and tried not to look excited. Carter walked through the door and Jack relaxed, slowly letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Sir," Carter said with a nod.

Jack walked back to his chair and motioned for Carter to take a seat. She offered a tightlipped smile and sat down across from Jack's desk.

"What can I do for you, Major?" Jack leaned forward to smooth a hand across his desk and then settled back in his seat. He glanced down at his almost blank report and remembered that he still had to finish the damn thing, and then he smiled up at Carter, who had finally stopped talking.

"I've completed my preliminary examination of the tech we brought back from P3X 933."

Jack shrugged and raised his brows, waiting for her to finish.

"Sir, I'm just curious. What exactly did the thing do to you?" Jack could make out an imperceptible flinch as she asked the question. If he hadn't known Carter so well, he never would have caught the motion. "What I mean to say is," she continued with a flap of one hand.

Jack folded his hands in front of him and rested them on the desk, offering up a bright grin. "It made me want to kill...someone." He said the words slowly, so even she'd get the gist, though he was sure that she'd already picked up on that when Jack had made repeated attempts on Daniel's life.

Carter flinched.

"Ask Daniel," Jack said, shifting in his seat at the vocalization of the name that was plaguing him.

Carter seemed to deflate. "I did, sir."

Jack sensed a potentially explosive 'but' left dangling at the end of her loaded sentence.

"And," Jack said with an encouraging wave of one hand.

"He wasn't exactly forthcoming, which is really strange because usually Daniel is so willing to help me with just about anything I ask."

Jack cleared his throat and slid his thumb across the surface of the desk. It seemed that he'd learned Daniel's stance on how to handle the anomalies, and Jack need not fear that what happened between him and Daniel would ever see the light of day.

Eyeing Carter sideways, Jack motioned at his temple where the device had once clung to his skin. "Maybe there's nothing more to tell other than we weren't exactly in control of our every thought and action."

Carter perked up and Jack felt his heart plummet in his chest at the verbal slip.

"Your thoughts," she said.

"Did I say thoughts?" Jack said with one raised brow, knowing it was futile and there was no way to backtrack. Carter would never let it go. She was like a dog with a favorite bone when she sank her teeth into something.

"Yes, sir," Carter said with renewed enthusiasm.

That's when it hit Jack. He knew what Carter was looking for. "Hey, look, I'm...." Jack sighed and hung his head, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for calling your dad a snakehead. That wasn't really me talking." Jack couldn't look Carter in the eyes because deep down, he knew the truth, but Carter didn't need to hear that. "I'd never...."

"I know, sir," Carter said, and Jack could hear the relief in her tone.

He looked up and swallowed his almost truth.

Carter smiled, looking content. She stood up and motioned to the doorway. "I should get back to it, sir."

Jack nodded and made a shooing motion with his hand, and then silently watched Carter exit before sagging in his seat. He only gave himself a few moments to recover before glancing at his screen, knowing he could finally get down to business now and finish the report.

* * *

Daniel's head was pounding.

Looking up from his work, he concluded with a frustrating sigh that he simply couldn't concentrate long enough to make sense of the translation he had been working on. In the last four hours, at most he'd only managed to translate one line of text before his mind would wander to other thoughts.

With a groan, he pushed away from his desk and jumped up from his chair to pace across the office. Sam's visit had triggered thoughts Daniel wasn't willing to entertain. Daniel had been sure everything would go back to normal once they'd removed the device, positive that he'd move forward and forget the whole thing, but that had been a foolish notion.

Daniel's mind kept flashing back to the kiss, the last one he'd pressed on Jack, and how Jack was avoiding him. They hadn't spoken much in the last two days, which was fine with Daniel because he needed to regroup, needed time to contemplate what it all meant.

The question of whether Jack shared feelings that went beyond friendship was something Daniel wouldn't dare to consider. There were too many circumstances and rules stacked against any desire to take their relationship to a new level. In addition to being career military, Daniel was aware Jack had also been straighter than an arrow, the past few weeks not withstanding. Daniel was sure that the change had to be the influence of the device and most likely temporary.

Sitting back down, Daniel bumped his forehead against the table, hoping to knock the lingering thoughts from his mind. Of course, it didn't work. All Daniel could think about was the memory of Jack's mouth against his and Jack's strong arms holding him.

Daniel sat up straight and concentrated on the scroll again. He was determined to get past what had happened. He'd been doing the same for a long time and, just because he'd finally tasted something he'd only dreamt about on lonely dark nights, a kiss or two didn't mean that anything had to change. Just because he'd felt the shape of Jack O'Neill under his hands, didn't mean Daniel had to contemplate that shape. Jack was out of Daniel's reach, and the fifty things Daniel had already come up with in his cons list proved it.

Daniel shook his head hard and stared down at the scroll. The next word in the text... Daniel threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Screw you," he said to the silent room and he scribbled the word on his notepad. Just as he finished, someone grabbed the pad from his hands, and Daniel lurched back and away, his heart thudding in his chest.

Jack stood behind him, an unrepentant grin on his face, holding said notepad in his hand up in the air.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me come in," Jack said.

"No," Daniel said, relaxing back into his seat with a weary sag to his shoulders. "I did not."

Jack paid him no mind, too busy reading the notepad, mouthing the words Daniel had written. "What's this, a love poem?" Jack asked with one raised brow.

Ignoring the sound of ripping paper, Daniel snatched the notepad from Jack's hand and slapped it back down on his desk. Even aggravated, Daniel couldn't help letting his gaze wander over Jack's body and take note of how anxious his posture seemed.

"I don't know," Daniel said, turning away from Jack. He didn't bother trying to get back to work because he knew that with Jack in the room, there was no way Daniel would manage to get anything done.

Jack leaned against the desk, drumming the fingers of one hand on the surface. "So," Jack said, rocking back and forth and then pushing off to stalk across the room and stand beside a shelf. He looked engrossed in one of the artifacts, but Daniel knew that wasn't the case.

"So." Daniel let the word hang between them until the silence dragged on too long. "Was there something you wanted or needed, Jack?"

Jack shrugged and turned his attention to Daniel. "I was just wondering if you'd handed your report in yet." Jack waved a finger in the air, gesturing at his temple. "You know, about this thing and what happened and what it did and...."

"Yes, I did." Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You can read the report for yourself, you know."

"Right, of course I can," Jack said. He tucked his hands in his pants pockets and then reached up to tug at the collar of his shirt. If Daniel didn't know better, he'd think that Jack was nervous. "Just give me the short version, Daniel." He waved his hand in the air again, motioning at nothing in particular. Nervous tension radiated off Jack, and Daniel ducked his head, resting his chin against his chest as he realized what was going on.

Jack was afraid.

"Well, you know," said Daniel, adding a casual drawl to his voice. "I said that the device controlled me with pain and discomfort, and when I wouldn't obey the directive, it shocked me."

Jack sauntered closer to the desk and tapped a finger against the surface again. There was a long drawn-out pause.

"Anything else?" Jack asked with a flap of one hand. Daniel thought that Jack needed to stop waving his hands around. It was too distracting and, each time he did, Daniel had the urge to grab hold and force them to stay still.

The uncomfortable silence stretched, and Daniel wracked his brain for what Jack wanted, not sure if he wanted Daniel to specifically say that he hadn't mentioned the kisses, or the urges he'd felt toward Jack. Daniel wanted to believe that Jack would feel something more than just anxiety at the thought that they had shared something deep and meaningful, but realized that maybe it was only meaningful on Daniel's end. He wondered if his questions were Jack's way of saying they should just pretend it never happened. In Jack's world, Daniel hadn't kissed Jack, Jack hadn't enjoyed it, and Daniel hadn't been the one to snap Jack out of the mind control and back to the real world.

"No, Jack," Daniel said with a heavy sigh, knowing that was how it would be, Jack pretending as if nothing had ever happened. Daniel would be fine with that. He had to be because he had no other choice in the matter. Jack called all the shots, and Daniel would simply have to deal with knowing that if Daniel so much as tried to bring the subject up in the future, Jack would shut him down in a heartbeat.

Jack eyed him with a tilt of his head. For just a moment, Daniel thought he saw regret in the depths of Jack's eyes, then that moment ended. Jack turned to the exit, flapping a hand at Daniel's work. "Then get back to work," Jack said. "Those thingies aren't going to translate themselves." With a swivel of Jack's hips, he was out the door and out of Daniel's sight.

Daniel thumped his head against his desk _hard_ while thinking that one day, that man would drive him insane.

* * *

Jack was home free.

On a clear night, a beautiful blanket of stars up above Jack could sit out on his deck all night gazing upward. Despite knowing what was out there and having been on other worlds, the appeal of looking at the tiny pinpoints of light through his inferior scope still hadn't lost its charm.

Jack sat back in his deck chair and took a long deep swig from his beer as he thought about the last conversation he'd had with Daniel. It looked as if it would all be over without Daniel pushing for more, which was a relief to Jack because Daniel had a habit of pushing.

Leaning his head all the way back, Jack stared up at the stars and wondered if he was so glad then why did he feel like a jerk? It wasn't as if Jack had a choice and it wasn't up for debate. Jack couldn't take the next step, no matter how much he wanted to and, even if Daniel were willing, Jack didn't understand why he'd want a broken-down old man like Jack. He rubbed his eyes and shook the thoughts from his mind telling himself there was no need to get maudlin.

A flash of headlights cut into his thoughts. Jack sat up straight and leaned forward. From that angle, he couldn't see a thing, but Jack had a good idea who might come to visit him. Maybe he was wrong. He hoped that maybe he was lucky and it wasn't Daniel, or maybe Carter was stopping by to check up on Jack, or maybe one of his Air Force buddies just wanted to drop by and say 'hey how's it hanging?'

Jack shot up straighter in his seat, blinked up at the night sky, and then shook the idiotic thoughts from his mind and scrambled to his feet. He knew he couldn't afford to be vulnerable in the situation, needed the high ground. Jack leaned against the railing and swiped a hand over his hair, messing the short bristles, musing that at least the fresh haircut he'd gotten just before leaving base felt good.

Footsteps thumped up the wooden stairs, and Jack's heart thumped in his chest. Half of him wanted to see Daniel while the rest dreaded being close to Daniel. He placed a hand against his chest and felt the thud of his heart, thinking all this back and forth couldn't be good for his old ticker.

When Daniel came into view over the edge of the steps, his eyes wandered over the deck and fell on Jack. The expression on his face changed, and Jack thought he detected hunger, but it was gone in a flash.

"Hi," Daniel said. He stopped at the top of the stairs and stood with his hands clasped together. Jack couldn't help admiring the tall man before him. Daniel had changed into dark jeans - they looked new - and a grey t-shirt. A dark blue blazer completed the ensemble. He looked good, but then he always looked good to Jack.

Suddenly, Jack wished he'd worn more than just his ratty old jeans and a faded pink polo shirt because he definitely wasn't dressed for company. "Hey, Daniel," Jack said. He set his empty beer bottle down on the table and leaned back against the railing, crossing his ankles.

"It's like this," Daniel said after a drawn-out uncomfortable silence. He paced across the deck and raised his hands in the air to demonstrate what it was like. "I know you don't want to talk about what happened." Daniel paused long enough to glance in Jack's direction, probably trying to gauge Jack's reaction.

Jack stayed silent, knowing there was no use trying to stop Daniel. It looked as if he'd built up a head of steam on his way over to Jack's place, and now Daniel needed to let that pressure out or he'd explode, and Jack didn't want bits of Daniel decorating his porch and ruining his stargazing.

"But I can't do this." Daniel paced back. His gaze wandered across the deck, touching on everything but Jack. "I can't just pretend nothing happened. I can't pretend that I don't have these feelings for you that are more than just… just," Daniel stopped and waved his arms in the air. "I know there's something...," He shook his head and lifted his glasses up to rub at his eyes. His shoulders sagged.

"Come on, Daniel," Jack said. "You're an expert at language and you can't spit it out."

Daniel spun on his heels, his eyes blazing with myriad emotions that Jack could hardly begin to understand.

"Don't do that," Daniel said. His voice rose in pitch and Jack straightened.

He had to stop Daniel before the situation got out of hand.

"Don't deflect with humor." Daniel slapped one hand in the other and the sound echoed.

Jack shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I wasn't."

"Don't. Just don't," Daniel said. His body tensed and Jack could almost feel the frustration rising off him like a live thing, smacking Jack square in the face. "I swore I would never... I just can't. I won't." He made chopping motions in the air with one hand.

"Then don't," Jack said, shaking his head again. He widened his eyes, amazed at how flustered Daniel was getting. It would almost be amusing if it weren't for the situation.

Daniel paced across the deck then stopped, lost in thought. He threw his arms up again and mouthed something Jack couldn't hear.

It was driving Jack nuts. He rushed forward and grabbed Daniel by his shoulders, startling him from his reverie. Yanking Daniel over to the deck chair, Jack's intentions were for Daniel to sit down, but Jack's intentions and actions didn't seem to be on the same page. Instead, Jack pushed Daniel down and fell on top of him, then sought Daniel's warm lips, smothering Daniel's objections with his own lips. Daniel struggled beneath Jack, scrambling to get his arms free from where Jack had pinned them down. He managed to free one of his arms, and Jack prepared for the push and eventual spill to the deck floor, where he'd end up on his ass, looking like a fool.

It never happened. Daniel wrapped his arm around Jack's neck and pulled him in closer, thrusting his tongue deeply into Jack's mouth. With a groan, Jack devoured Daniel in return, ignoring the part of his brain that was shouting at him to stop before it went any further. He pushed against Daniel, eliciting a moan, and Jack hummed against Daniel's mouth and licked Daniel's soft lips, keeping his eyes shut, taking in every sensation. The feel of Daniel's firm body beneath him was making Jack hard and he humped against Daniel, enjoying the delicious friction against his dick, more intense because Jack hadn't expected this.

The frenzy of the kiss abating, Jack trailed his mouth across Daniel's cheek and mouthed his earlobe. Daniel bucked up in response, and Jack felt a shot of heat go through him when he felt Daniel's hardness against his thigh. "Jack," Daniel said right into Jack's ear, sending a shudder through Jack. He decided he could get used to this new way Daniel had of saying his name.

"It was the only way to get you to shut up," Jack said. He buried his face in Daniel's neck, laughter bubbling up in his chest. Jack let it loose for a few seconds before smothering the sound against Daniel.

In the meantime, Daniel managed to get both his arms around Jack and hold on tight. "Does this mean…" Daniel's Adam's apple bobbed up and down against Jack's neck, and Jack pulled back enough to place a kiss on Daniel's parted lips.

"I don't know what it means," Jack said. He shifted on the deck chair so that he lay beside Daniel with one leg draped across Daniel's thighs, the hollow of his hip pressed tight against Daniel's side. Jack smoothed a hand over Daniel's chest, so flat and nothing like a woman's, even if Jack had sometimes heard mutters on the base about how pretty Daniel was. Glancing down, he saw the bulge in Daniel's pants and, although his own erection had abated somewhat, he was still turned on and semi-hard, and there was no denying that Daniel made him feel that way.

Jack brushed his thumb across Daniel's moist lips. Daniel turned his head to look with wide eyes at Jack then slid his glasses off to set them aside. Without them on, Jack thought Daniel looked vulnerable and naked. Up close and more personal, Jack thought Daniel looked breathtaking. Daniel licked his lips and the tip of his tongue brushed Jack's stroking thumb, sending shivers through Jack straight to his cock. When Jack shifted his hips due to his cock getting uncomfortably harder, Daniel's eyes sparkled with mischief and glee. Jack pressed his erection against Daniel and stroked his thumb across his mouth again.

"Do that again and I'm going to blow before this ever gets started." Jack leaned in and kissed Daniel on the mouth. When he pulled back, he smiled to find Daniel's cheeks had a red tint to them. Then Daniel was dragging Jack in and their mouths locked in a wet hot kiss that blew Jack's mind.

"Then maybe we should take this inside," Daniel said, placing kisses on the edge of Jack's mouth then down his cheek to nuzzle against Jack's throat.

"Alright," Jack said with a nod though he made no effort to get up from his nice comfortable spot. Jack reached up and smoothed a hand over Daniel's hair, their gazes locked in silent conversation, intimate and erotic without a sense of urgency.

They lay in silence for a while longer, and Jack let his mind wander. His head filled with thoughts of what would happen tomorrow, what he'd say at the next SG briefing, and what he'd have for breakfast. He closed his eyes and drifted into a comfortable half-sleep, stroking Daniel's shoulder with one hand. Daniel shook him and butted Jack's cheek with a gentle tap of his forehead. A little embarrassed, Jack cleared his throat, and Daniel pulled away, leaving Jack to regret the loss of the warmth of Daniel's body. The thought that if they went inside he'd probably get more than just Daniel's body warmth terrified and thrilled Jack at the same time.

Without looking at Daniel, Jack pushed up and off of the chair to stand, and then he marched down the steps of the deck not looking back, too afraid he'd lose his nerve if he did. Jack's throat felt constricted and his hand shook when he reached for the door handle, and he knew they needed to get going before he lost his nerve. It wasn't that Jack didn't want to - he was sure he did - but a part of him feared that once he crossed that line, there was no going back. It felt permanent, which was a foolish thought because Jack knew that nothing was permanent.

He stopped in the hallway to stare at the pictures on the wall and reached out to touch the glass over the photo of him and Charlie. Jack's life had turned out so different from where he thought he'd end up all those years ago. Although he still ached deep inside, longing for that life and for his son, he was here and his choices had led him to now, and Jack was content with that.

Jack sensed when Daniel approached and watched his image reflected in the glass. He shook free of the somber mood that threatened to overwhelm him and turned to face Daniel, but Daniel was no longer behind him. Jack swiped a hand across his mouth and marched to the bedroom, expecting to find Daniel in there, but the room sat empty and dark. With a disheartened sigh, Jack walked to the side of the bed he always slept on and bent to turn on the lamp.

"I could go if you want," Daniel said.

Jack straightened and twisted around, shaking his head. Daniel stood in the entryway of the bedroom. The intense longing he felt when he looked at Daniel was like a living, breathing thing. The light reflected off the lenses of Daniel's glasses, and for a moment, Jack couldn't see his eyes, then Daniel tilted his head and the empathy shone clear. Tactical strategies to keep Daniel there had been running through Jack's mind, but that look declared there was no battle left to fight. Jack had already won.

Jack hurried forward, wrapped his arms around Daniel, and crushed him in a big hug, cupping the back of Daniel's head with one hand that slid down to his neck. Burying his face against Daniel's warm neck, Jack smiled at the soft hairs tickling his cheek, and then Daniel's arms slipped around Jack's waist and held on just as tight.

Jack didn't want to move. He soaked in the warmth of Daniel's body and inhaled the heady scent of his clean very male musk. Jack thought he was probably addicted to Daniel - if that was possible - he might have to ask Janet. In the meantime, Jack figured he could feed the addiction by staying right where he was. "You'll be lucky if I ever let go," Jack said, his words muffled against Daniel's throat.

"Well, you do give good hug," Daniel said.

Daniel's voice reverberated through Jack, reawakening his lust. With their bodies pressed so close together, Jack became hyperaware of every inch of Daniel. He turned his head and brushed their mouths together, touching his fingertips to Daniel's chin to tilt his head just so for a good angle. Satisfied with his arrangement, Jack captured Daniel's mouth to suck on the full bottom lip, smiling against Daniel's mouth when Daniel jerked in his arms.

"Should we find out what other good things I give?" Jack teased. Rearing back, he cupped Daniel's face in both hands, turning to kiss him full on the mouth. He opened his mouth to thrust his tongue inside Daniel's lips, and then Jack slowed the pace and savored the moment, every sense in his body alive, absorbing every reaction and every sensation. Daniel shifted in his arms, twisting them both so that they ended up closer to the bed and, when Daniel shoved, for a brief moment, Jack felt as if he were flying. They fell to the bed side by side, and Daniel threw a leg across Jack as the kiss deepened. His hungry mouth devoured Jack until Jack pushed both hands against Daniel's chest and tore his mouth free.

Daniel lay beside Jack, staring down at him startled and openmouthed. Jack reached up, plucked his glasses from his face and handed them to Daniel with a smile. Understanding dawned on Daniel's face, and Jack thought about teasing him, but then Daniel sat up, straddled Jack's hips, and leaned over to set his glasses on the bedside table. All other thoughts flew from Jack's mind as he fought the instinct to buck Daniel's solid weight off, then he pulled Daniel down to crush their mouths together, startling himself when he growled deep in his throat.

Daniel broke the kiss after a while and sat up again, licking his wet mouth. The sight sent shivers through Jack and he gripped Daniel's thighs, caressing upward until he rested his hands on Daniel's hips. "We should probably get undressed," Daniel said. He began to shift off Jack, but Jack held him tight, sitting up to pull Daniel back into his arms.

"Right," Jack said against Daniel's throat taking a deep breath and then letting it out as he felt the last of his nervousness leaving him. No longer hesitating, Jack yanked at Daniel's shirt, sliding it from Daniel's shoulders in a few short jerks. Their gazes locked, Jack refusing to look away while he leaned back to pull off his t-shirt and toss it to the floor.

Daniel's eyes trailed down Jack's naked chest and he reached out, touching his fingers to one of Jack's peaked nipples. Jack shivered and licked his lips, wondering how was it possible such a simple touch from Daniel could send Jack's libido soaring into orbit.

Jack examined Daniel's naked torso with interest, noting he was no longer the skinny geek from when they'd first met. Daniel sported some serious muscle and Jack caressed his strong shoulders and arms and then cupped his elbows, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on Daniel's mouth.

"I'm definitely getting the better end of this deal," Jack said with a self-deprecating smile.

Without a word, Daniel pushed Jack down, slid off, and lay down beside him. Jack turned his head and watched while Daniel unbuttoned his jeans. A smirk played across Daniel's hot mouth, and Jack's gaze trailed down then locked on the deft hands that undid each button. The slow deliberately provocative motions made Jack's dick jump. Jack moved to undo his jeans, but Daniel stopped him, shaking his head and wagging a finger at Jack. He let his hands fall to his side and watched Daniel slither out of his jeans. They disappeared over the edge of the bed, leaving Daniel's long slim legs exposed. The bulge in Daniel's briefs made Jack lick his lips.

Daniel turned his gaze from Jack and quickly stripped the rest of his clothes off. Finally naked, his warm skin brushed against Jack and, once again, Jack's libido exploded. He growled and turned to dive on Daniel, but Daniel was there first, pushing Jack back down, his hands at Jack's zipper. Raising his lowered head, he locked his gaze on Jack, his blue eyes dark and sexy in the dim light.

"Fuck, Daniel," Jack said, swallowing hard. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Daniel smiled and laughed, his bare shoulders shaking.

"Maybe," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Jack gave in and relaxed to watch Daniel unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans. Daniel's fingers hooked the waistband and he eased them down, leaving Jack's briefs in place. Jack automatically raised his butt off the bed to accommodate the motion, his gaze locked on Daniel's intense expression. Daniel placed a kiss on Jack's hip then his thigh and slid the jeans off the rest of the way.

Jack tried not to dwell on the surreal aspect of watching Daniel gently removing Jack's socks one at a time. He flinched when Daniel placed a kiss on the arch of each foot and wondered if Daniel had a fetish, not having a clue what Daniel liked, then Jack realized that he would find out soon enough.

Daniel smoothed his hands along Jack's feet then up his hairy legs.

"Hey," Jack said. He tilted his head higher to get a better view of Daniel. "I'm up here." Jack tapped his lips and raised a brow.

"Patience, Jack," Daniel said. He crawled up the length of Jack's body, placing kisses as he went. He lay down with half his body draped across Jack and proceeded to concentrate on everything but the one part of Jack's anatomy that wanted Daniel's attention. Jack writhed beneath the kisses, touches, and caresses while his cock twitched and jerked in his briefs. He inched his hand closer to the elastic of his briefs, but Daniel pushed the hand away, continuing his exploration of Jack's hips and thighs.

"Daniel," Jack said, his complaint sounding more like a growl, and Daniel scrubbed a hand down his face in exasperation. Jack rolled his eyes and then threw his forearm over them to remove some of the temptation.

"Be patient, Jack," Daniel said and then he went back to what he'd been doing. Jack knew he could have thrown Daniel off and had his own way, but his first time with Daniel was proving to be an experience Jack didn't want to forget. No one had ever paid him this much attention in bed. His experience had been vanilla with a few exceptions, some experimentation that hadn't lasted long.

Daniel's hot breath against Jack's thigh nearly sent Jack into orbit. He arched toward Daniel and whimpered - or maybe it was a moan - Jack wasn't sure because his brain wasn't quite functioning then. With all his blood pooled in one place, it was hard for Jack to think of anything but Daniel's touches and caresses. Then Daniel licked Jack's hip and bit down like he was ravenous and Jack was a feast.

"Fuck." Jack breathed the word more than said it, and he bit his bottom lips as his hand – Jack swore of its own volition - moved to tug impatiently at his brief. Daniel didn't stop him, and Jack peeked from under his arm at the beautiful, sexy face that stared back at him.

 _What had he done to deserve this? What had he done to deserve Daniel?_

Daniel smiled, hooked a finger in the elastic, and tugged the briefs off one hip, nibbling and licking the exposed skin, and then he turned his head and pressed his face against Jack's cock. Jack hadn't been this turned on in what seemed like ages, long enough that he'd almost forgotten what turned on even meant. When Daniel nuzzled Jack's cloth-covered erection, Jack shuddered and his cock pulsed.

"Jesus, you really are going to kill me." Jack gasped when Daniel wrapped his mouth around the head and sucked at the fabric. The sensation was mind-blowing, blowing being the operative word. Jack bucked his hips up and clawed at the bed, then Daniel had both hands on Jack's hips and he peeled the briefs up and over Jack's hard cock, exposing him to the air. Jack looked down then looked away then looked again, needing to watch Daniel caress Jack's length with his fingers before taking it in his fist for one firm stroke.

Jack knew there was no way that he'd last much longer, and the torture had to end. He pushed up and grabbed Daniel by his arms. In one smooth motion, Jack had Daniel on his back, pinned beneath him. Jack stared down at the stunned expression on Daniel's face, then swooped in and mashed his lips against Daniel's surprised-opened mouth, sucking on the bottom lip. At the same time, Jack humped against Daniel, rubbing his hard exposed erection and thinking he was going to come like some teenager, and it would be Daniel's fault because he was so damned hot and did things with his mouth that Jack thought should be illegal in all fifty states.

Jack released his grip on Daniel's arms and slid his hand down the smooth hairless chest to cup Daniel's cock, amazed at how good it felt to touch. Despite his lack of patience, foreplay had always been Jack's favorite part of any sexual encounter and, thankfully, Daniel seemed to agree. Jack managed to wiggle out of his briefs, tossed them aside, and with both of them finally naked, Jack decided to savor the view. He leaned back and stared down at Daniel's body, every inch of skin his to touch, explore, and command.

Daniel reached up and touched Jack's chest, brushing his palm across the gray hairs Jack mocked every time he saw them in the mirror. Their groins pressed close together, Jack enjoyed the feel of naked, warm skin and the sensation of another man's cock touching his, sending a thrill through Jack that he never thought he'd feel. He pounced and kissed Daniel again, making it a long, lingering, tongue-probing wet kiss.

Rolling, they lay side by side, and Jack reached down to take them both in hand, stroking their lengths together. It felt a lot like jerking himself off, only better. With a groan, he deepened the kiss, and Daniel pushed his tongue in, devouring Jack's mouth. Jack's cock pulsed at the sensuousness of the kiss, and he sped up as he stroked their lengths. Daniel moaned against Jack's mouth, his dick jumped in Jack's hand, and then Daniel bucked against him, crying out into Jack's mouth. He shot all over Jack's hand and between them, and Jack sped up his strokes until Daniel nudged his hand away from his spent cock. Jack could feel himself so close to the edge, his balls tightened, and he jerked himself faster, ignoring everything but getting to completion. When he came, he buried his face in Daniel's throat, and every thought but that moment flew from his mind.

 _This was all that mattered. Daniel was all that mattered._

Jack lay back until his heart rate returned to normal, or at least somewhere close to normal. Although he was still too blown away by what had just happened to want to move, it was getting chilly and they were both messy. Slowly, he turned his head enough to look down the lengths of their bodies, to see Daniel with his legs spread and one knee bent, his breathing beginning to slow while his eyes remained closed.

They lay in silence for a while, and then what he'd done sank in. Jack sat up, scrambled from the bed, and moved to the bathroom. Catching his reflection in the mirror on his way to the shower, he paused to stare at his stunned openmouthed double. Jack swiped a hand over his mouth and shook his head, thinking what he'd done was nuts. Daniel was his best friend, and Jack could be jeopardizing that most important relationship for sex.

Jack shook the thoughts from his mind, started the shower, and made sure the water was nice and hot before stepping inside. Moments later, Daniel got into the shower behind him, but Jack didn't turn around, preferring to keep his chest to the spray of hot water as he washed the evidence down the drain. A touch of lips on Jack's shoulder startled him from his reverie, and he half-turned so that he could see Daniel. The smile on Daniel's soft face erased any doubts in Jack's mind, and he turned around all the way to take Daniel's head in his hands and kiss him on the mouth.

They swapped places and Jack stood behind Daniel, first washing his own chest and then lathering up Daniel's pale back. They hadn't said anything in a while, and Jack didn't want Daniel to think that something was up or wrong because it wasn't. Before he could think of something to say, Daniel spun and Jack was lathering his chest. With a peck on the lips, Daniel crowded into Jack's space, and Jack found himself with an armful of slippery, hot, and eager Daniel. Jack could feel Daniel's dick starting to get hard again, and Jack looked down at his own limp cock, feeling envious of Daniel's youth.

Daniel's hands caressed Jack while he passively allowed Daniel's very thorough exploration. Fifty years of wear and tear and scars marked Jack's body, and it seemed as if Daniel planned to memorize every one. He traced a thumb across the scar on Jack's hip, and Jack took Daniel's hand in his and crushed their arms between them, kissing Daniel long and hard, drawing out the moment for as long as he could. Needing Daniel to understand, Jack pulled back with a tentative smile. "I don't regret this," Jack said, blinking away the droplets of water from his eyelashes. For a moment, he thought Daniel would say something, but then Daniel lunged forward and crushed their mouths together, thrusting his tongue into Jack's mouth with a soft groan.

Jack grinned into the kiss thinking it was going to be a long night, and that it felt like he wasn't out of the picture yet. His cock jumped again when their wet warm bodies slid together, and Jack's sigh of satisfaction was lost in their mouths.

* * *

They were fighting again.

The briefing had only lasted ten minutes before Jack and Daniel were arguing over the merits of returning to the planet they had done recon on just a few hours before.

"I didn't get a chance to see what the distant buildings were," Daniel said, fiddling with the pen he held, and glaring at Jack. The arbitrary decision to leave within hours of going through the gate to R86 G449 still rankled.

"With all due respect, General," Jack said with a smile. "There was nothing but trees, trees, and more trees, oh and some woodland creatures that stopped by to say 'hey.'" Jack waved a hand as if to demonstrate how the animals he was talking about had behaved.

It was hard for Daniel to believe that just a week ago, he and Jack had lain in bed and spoken words of affection, not when they were arguing as if their time together had never happened. If wasn't as if Daniel had thought their change in status meant they would agree on everything but, at the least, he felt Jack could cut him some slack. Instead, it was back to business as usual. If that wasn't frustrating enough, they hadn't so much as touched a hand to each other's shoulder since that night. Daniel was beginning to wonder if it had actually happened or if it was all just a figment of his overactive imagination.

"But we could see that there were buildings, possibly ancient or maybe more recent," Daniel said. He stood up and walked to the computer screen, which displayed a frozen blurred frame of some of the footage he had shot on the planet. Daniel pointed at a darker blur in the left-hand corner. "This appears to be a dwelling or it could possibly be a temple. I won't know until we can get a closer look."

General Hammond sat with his hands folded on the table in front of him. Daniel couldn't tell by his expression if he was getting through to Hammond, or if the general was leaning toward moving on to the next planet on the list of gate addresses.

"Sir," Sam spoke up. "I did take a few samples of local plants I felt were unusual and possibly useful." She shrugged. "If the lab results show they hold properties worth investigating further...." She let the rest of her sentence hang unfinished, her gaze swinging around to meet Jack's intent stare before folding her hands before her and shrugging again.

Teal'c sat idle, contributing nothing to the meeting.

"I will give all your suggestions due consideration," Hammond said after a thoughtful, drawn-out pause where his gaze fell and remained on Jack.

Daniel knew what Hammond's careful phrasing meant. Although they'd probably return for the plants, Daniel had almost no chance of going back to investigate the distant structures.

"Now that that's settled, sir," Jack said, pushing his chair out to stand. "I have a bunch of green recruits to give my 'welcome to hell' speech to." Jack's hand shot out and he snatched the folder that held Daniel's report on R86 G449. It was a long shot that Jack would read the report, but Daniel lived in hope and, maybe with their new status, things would change.

Daniel followed Jack out, catching up to Jack's quick pace. Daniel slipped in beside him, tucking his hands in his pants pockets in order to keep his hands to himself. When they reached the elevator, Jack pressed the level for the locker rooms. They both waited silently for it to arrive, and then they walked inside together.

"Whatever it is that you want, I'm not interested right now," Jack said, keeping his gaze locked on the elevator doors. Daniel deliberately moved to stand in front of Jack.

"I just wanted to see whether you're angry at me," Daniel said. He cringed because, even to him, his voice sounded pathetic.

Jack shrugged and shook his head. "Nope," he said with a tight-lipped grimace, which did little to convince Daniel.

Daniel hesitated then moved in closer with the intension of making contact, although he wasn't sure what it was he wanted to do. His motions clumsy, Daniel began to close his eyes and lean in, but then Jack moved back and away from him, one hand up between them to stop Daniel. Jack's wide-eyed expression should have clued Daniel in, but he hadn't caught it in time.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell are you doing?"

Daniel turned away, and lowered his head, hiding his embarrassment at the misstep. He redirected the hand poised to reach for Jack to his glasses, pushing them up his nose until they sat in place.

"Sorry," Daniel nodded and cleared his throat. He should have realized Jack was mad at him, but didn't want to argue right then, and that Daniel trying to show attention beyond what a friend would show had been a bad move. Daniel knew Jack appreciated discretion on base. He raised his head and glanced at Jack sideways. He would have apologized, but then they would have to acknowledge that there was something to apologize for, and that would not be discreet.

"Don't be sorry, just...don't." Jack punctuated his clipped statement with a chop of one hand. The elevator stopped on Jack's level and he walked out the doors before they finished opening. Realizing Jack must have been more than just angry, Daniel stood unsure what to do next, watching the doors slide shut without making a move to choose another level. He wondered how he was supposed to behave with the change in their friendship. Daniel had given it some consideration in the past, and he'd thought that he'd be able to handle it if it ever happened, but now he wasn't so sure.

Jack was calm and cool, and all outward signs seemed to show that nothing was different between them, and wasn't that what Daniel wanted. Jack had a lot more to lose if his change in status ever got out. His career and his life depended on discretion.

Daniel shook his head and chastised himself for being such a fool. Jack needed him to be a mature adult, and Daniel was over-thinking and pouting that Jack wouldn't let Daniel touch him in public on base. With a sigh, he reached out and pressed the level for his office.

* * *

Buried in his work, Daniel lasted almost an hour before his mind wandered to thoughts of Jack, wondering where Jack was and what he was doing and whether they'd see each other again on or off base today.

Their circumstances were difficult and, the longer Daniel sat fretting, the harder it became to believe that he hadn't just screwed everything up and that Jack would walk through Daniel's door and call the whole thing off. What ever was between them would be over before it even got started. Daniel swiped his hand through his hair, muttering something about how for someone so smart he could be so stupid.

Someone knocked on his door before entering, and Daniel felt his heart skip a few beats with fear. He sat up but didn't turn around, suddenly sure it was Jack ready to tell Daniel to go to hell. Daniel swallowed his pride and spun his chair around to face the airman who was standing just outside the door.

"Doctor Jackson, I have a message for you from Colonel O'Neill," the airman said. He stepped forward and held out a plain white envelope, and Daniel slowly reached out to take it from him.

"Thank you," Daniel said.

The man nodded once, turned, and left. Daniel stared down at the envelope certain it was a Dear John letter, but then decided that was silly. Jack wouldn't break up with Daniel in such a public manner. Leaning back in his chair, Daniel began to rip the letter open, but then stopped to stare at his name written in tiny, neat script - Jack's handwriting - and Daniel traced the letters with his fingers and smiled.

The blare of off world activation interrupted his musing.

Daniel jumped up from his chair, tucking the letter in his back pocket. The sirens were louder out in the hallway and people rushed past him. Daniel followed them to the gate room level, where he hurried up the metal steps to the control room and moved to stand with the general behind Walter, who was sitting at the computer desk dialing controls.

With the iris closed, only the backlight showed that the stargate was active. Nothing could get through that protective shield, but Daniel always lived in fear that one of their enemies would find a way past the defenses.

Activity in the gate room was hurried but efficient. Men and women stood with weapons poised, and Daniel noticed that one of them was Jack. Moments later, Sam rushed in with her weapon ready and took a position next to Teal'c, who stood with his staff weapon poised.

"SG-6 and 8 weren't due to dial in for another few hours, sir," Walter said

General Hammond stood hovering with a worried expectant expression on his face.

"It's SG-6's IDC code," Walter said, looking to Hammond for his next order.

Hammond nodded. "Open the iris." The moment he said the words, Walter pressed a palm to the hand scanner and the iris bloomed open to reveal a bright pool of shimmering ripples, the event horizon of the stable wormhole.

Everyone seemed to hold a collective breath in anticipation and the men in the gate room raised their weapons higher. Daniel watched Jack step forward with his P90 poised to fire if anyone but members of the installation walked through that gate. Moments later, one man popped out of the horizon and clambered down the metal ramp. He stood for a second and then fell forward, revealing three arrows sticking out of his bloodied back.

Daniel heard Jack shout something, and four men along with Sam and Teal'c moved forward, Sam rushing to the fallen man, bending to check him. Daniel moved to the window and watched in anticipation. No one had given the order to close the iris because three other men on that team still hadn't walked through the 'gate. Daniel saw Sam look up at Jack and shake her head. The man was dead. Daniel sucked in a breath and covered his mouth in dismay. He looked to Hammond, who stood with his mouth a tight line, and his brow furrowed.

It seemed to take forever, but only a few seconds later, two other team members rushed through the 'gate, both disheveled and bloodied. One of them fell to the floor by her fallen teammate's side, and the other moved over to the edge of the ramp and threw up. The team member who lay sprawled beside her fallen teammate looked up at Jack, said a few words, and shook her head. Jack turned and motioned to Sam, who bent to speak with the other member of SG-6. Daniel couldn't hear what they said, but Sam raised her head moments later and gave the order to close the iris. Daniel turned to look at Hammond who nodded at Harriman. The iris swirled closed and, moments later, the 'gate shut down, the stable wormhole gone.

The medical team rushed to the team members who had made it back and with efficiency and haste, carried them away on gurneys to receive medical treatment, taking the dead soldier away as well. Sam went with the team members that were being ferried away for medical attention. The flurry of activity in the 'gate room didn't end there. Daniel stared down and watched Jack issue orders to armed men in the room. He couldn't hear the words, but the body language and actions seemed to indicate that the danger wasn't over yet. They still had a team out in the field.

Guards stationed in the 'gate room to his satisfaction, Jack looked up to Hammond, one brow raised when he spotted Daniel. Hammond nodded and turned to leave the room. Daniel rushed to follow him to the debriefing room, remaining silent while they walked and he staying well behind Hammond, not wishing to interfere.

It wasn't long before Jack rushed into the room followed by Sam and Teal'c. They settled down in seats, Daniel sitting beside Sam, right across from Jack who didn't look at him as Sam began the briefing on the situation on P3X-625.

"From what I've been able to gather from Lieutenant Reed, the rest of her team were ambushed and all of SG-8 are still being held captive by a group of locals who think that anyone coming through the 'gate are enemies sent to destroy them, sir. Our teams were ambushed on their way to a small village. The locals stripped them of their weapons and chained them to pillars in the center of town as a warning." Sam took a deep breath before continuing. "The leader plans to kill them all at dawn to show that they will not be intimidated by outside forces. Reed and the others escaped, but barely made it to the 'gate before the locals arrived and attacked again, killing Brent."

"Permission to go through the 'gate and rescue our men, sir," Jack said before Sam could finish her report.

Hammond looked to each of them then focused on Jack. "Permission granted."

"Didn't they try to reason with them?" Daniel said. "They must have tried to speak with the leaders, tell them that we mean no harm."

Jack turned a tight-lipped, angry look on Daniel. "Maybe they didn't speak 'we come in peace.'" He pushed away from the table and stood before anyone could respond. There was a pause and a long silence, during which Daniel thought he might say something more, but he wasn't sure what. In the end, it didn't matter. Jack rushed from the room, his back to everyone, before Daniel could speak up.

Sam stood. "According to Reed, the locals didn't want to hear what the team had to say, Daniel." She shook her head, regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry." Sam hurried from the room, followed by Teal'c, and Daniel glanced at Hammond to receive a nod of dismissal before leaving to follow his teammates.

The locker rooms were a flurry of activity when Daniel arrived, and he stopped to watch Jack who had his back turned to Daniel as he geared up for the mission. When Daniel moved to his locker, Jack turned and glanced his way as he finished zipping up his pants.

"What are you doing here?" Jack slammed his locker shut and moved to sit and lace up his boots.

"I'm going with you," Daniel said with a shrug. He was the one who'd sent Reynolds, a recent recruit, with SG-8 to that world. It was his first off world mission and, though Daniel had prepared him for any contingency, making sure that Reynolds knew all the first contact rules, he hadn't expected them to encounter something so drastic.

"The hell you are," Jack said, breaking into Daniel's thoughts.

"What?" Daniel asked. He glanced toward the others, but Sam and Teal'c had already left the room, leaving just Jack and Daniel there. Daniel looked back to Jack and leaned in closer, catching Jack's attention.

Jack placed his ball cap on his head and adjusted the fit. "It's a rescue operation. There's no need for you on this one, Daniel."

"But I want to go," Daniel said. He prepared for a fight, but Jack brushed him aside easily as he walked past. "Jack, this isn't fair. Those are my men too."

Jack turned and yanked his cap from his head, frustration evident in his motions. "I get that, but we'll bring them home for you. I want you to stay here," Jack said. He motioned at Daniel with one hand. "Talk to Reed and her people." Daniel didn't like the tone of Jack's voice. There was a hint of a plea hidden in the words. "Maybe you can get more information from them that would shed some light on what happened over there."

Without waiting for a response, Jack put his cap on again and took a step backwards, his gaze still on Daniel, silently begging him to follow his suggestion. Daniel itched to reach out and touch Jack but when he made a move toward him, Jack spun and rushed away. Daniel had messed up again, but this wasn't the time or the place to think about what that could mean, to think about them.

Daniel leaned against the lockers and thumped his head backwards.

"Be careful," he said to no one.

* * *

By the time Daniel got home to his apartment, it was almost three in the morning.

Daniel stumbled to the sofa and sat down in the darkness. With all team members returned and accounted for, Jack had remained at the SGC for debriefs while Daniel had been ordered to go home after falling asleep beside Reed's bed. He hadn't seen Jack after they'd returned from the planet. Actually, he hadn't seen any of his teammates and, despite wanting to know what had happened, Daniel was just relieved to be home, alone, where he could think about other things.

Of course, his mind went straight to the new relationship he and Jack had formed over the past few weeks. His fear that it was already over before it had begun still hung like a sword of Damocles, ready to slice him open at any moment. Jack hadn't said the words but, if the past twenty-four hours were any indication, Daniel would have to accept that it just wasn't going to work out. They couldn't maintain a clandestine relationship and expect everything to be fine. Daniel didn't understand how he could ever have believed that they could, or that Jack would want to risk everything he was for someone like Daniel.

When Jack called or stopped by to talk, Daniel would simply have to accept the demise of their failed union. It was inevitable. Daniel wrapped his arms around himself and lay down, exhaustion overtaking him, but then he felt something crinkle in his back pocket. In all the excitement, he'd forgotten about the note.

Daniel sat up and pulled the envelope from his pocket. He stared down at the crumpled paper, swallowing his fear and pride. He had a feeling that he knew what it would say. He didn't want to open it, but he knew he had to.

 _Just tear it open._

"Like ripping off a band aid," Daniel said. He prepared to tear it open and jumped at the sound of pounding at his front door. Daniel set the letter down and slunk across the dark apartment, wary of who might be at his door at this hour of the night, though he was almost sure that he knew the answer. He hoped it was a neighbor with some complaint. He paused at the door and jumped back when whoever it was resumed their knocking.

"Daniel." Jack's voice sounded muffled through the door, and Daniel turned his back to the door and leaned against the wood. For a moment, he thought that if he stayed silent, maybe Jack would get the idea that Daniel was asleep and Jack would go away. It was a foolish idea. The sooner they got this over with, the better, because Daniel wouldn't be able to sleep tonight with the uncertainty hanging over his head.

Turning, he took a deep breath then leaned forward to put his eye to the peephole. Jack was dressed in his usual civilian clothes, his leather bomber jacket unzipped and his tags dangling around his neck and over his black t-shirt. Daniel watched as Jack glanced down the hallway and swiped his hand over his mouth, and then Daniel moved away from the door and unlatched the lock, flinging it open.

Jack turned his attention to Daniel the moment the door opened. "Well, are you going to let me in or do I stand out here calling attention to myself?"

Daniel shook his head and stepped back, allowing Jack room to enter. He closed and locked the door behind Jack once he was inside.

"It's a little dark in here," Jack said.

Daniel reached for the light switch but his hand never made contact. Jack slammed into him, pushing Daniel up against the wall and thrusting his knee between Daniel's spread legs. Daniel didn't have a chance to protest before Jack's hand covered his mouth. Their faces inches apart, Daniel stared with wide eyes in the gloom of the hallway until they finally adjusted to the reduced light and he could see what might be anger, or possibly something else in Jack's dark eyes.

Jack shook his head and then eased his hand from Daniel's mouth, shushing Daniel with a raised finger. Jack pulled something from his pocket and held it up for Daniel to see. It was a small grey box with a few buttons and a small antenna at the top. Jack pulled the antenna out a few more inches and backed away from Daniel, leaving Daniel pressed up against the wall as Jack walked further into the apartment.

Daniel stayed where he was, unsure of what to do next. A few moments later, Jack returned, tucked the device back in his jacket pocket, and leaned a shoulder against the wall beside Daniel. "What was that about?" Daniel said, turning to look at Jack, unable to read his face in the darkness.

"Insurance," Jack said with a casual wave of one hand. He reached over and flicked the switch, flooding the main living area of the apartment with light. Daniel flinched at the sudden illumination, and then he flinched again when Jack rolled against the wall and trapped Daniel between outstretched arms. They stared into each other's eyes. Jack appeared to be searching for something, and Daniel stayed silent as he waited for what came next.

"Do what you came here to do," Daniel said after the silence went on too long, needing it to be over. He wanted his heart to stop pounding, the dread in the pit of his stomach making him ill as he wondered when Jack would make his mind up and let Daniel know where they stood. "Just be gentle."

"I hadn't planned on being gentle," Jack said.

Daniel narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Jack wasn't a cruel man, so Daniel didn't understand why he was being so mean.

"I brought you a present," Jack said before Daniel could respond, yanking something from his other pocket and holding it up for Daniel to see. Jack tossed it in the air, caught it, and then moved away from Daniel, once again leaving him up against the wall. Daniel didn't stay there, following Jack into the living room to watch Jack set the device down on a shelf. It looked inconspicuous amongst Daniel's other artifacts.

Jack spun on his heels and smiled at Daniel. "There. Now no one will be able to spy on you." Jack leaned forward and waggled a brow. "Or on us."

Daniel didn't understand why Jack was going to all that trouble if he was about to end things between them.

Jack glanced over to the sofa then looked at Daniel with a questioning expression. "You did get my note," he said. He sauntered over to the sofa and scooped the unopened envelope up, then tore it in half. "I guess you didn't read it." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Not that it matters now."

Daniel took a few steps toward him and stared down at the torn paper in Jack's hand. "I never got a chance what with all the excitement." He looked back up and noticed the bandage on Jack's neck just below his left ear, and he raised his hand toward it before stopping with a muttered apology.

"It's okay. Everyone's home safe and sound," Jack said.

Daniel nodded. "I stayed long enough to learn that much."

Jack removed his jacket and tossed it on the back of a chair, then moved around to fall back into the sofa, the torn paper still in his hands. Jack scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Daniel wished he could read Jack's mood - the way he could when the devices linked them - but he couldn't.

"Are you going to sit or just stand there gawking at me?" Jack asked after a long stretch of silence.

Daniel made his way around the sofa and sat down beside Jack, leaving enough room so he wouldn't invade Jack's personal space. Jack seemed to have other plans. He shifted over and closer to Daniel, slinging one arm around Daniel's shoulder before tilting his head so that he could get a better angle. He placed a quick kiss on Daniel's mouth and then snuggled his head against Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel stared down at the bandage on Jack's neck wondering if Jack had somehow ended up compromised again. "Are you sure you're okay?" Daniel said. If Jack was, then Daniel had been wrong about everything. Jack wouldn't be cozying up to him if he wanted things to end.

"Yup," Jack said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned his head and frowned at Daniel. From his close angle, Daniel could see the crease lines on Jack's furrowed brow. "Peachy." Jack paused, drew back, and eyed Daniel. "Were you worried about me?"

Daniel shook his head and slid his arm around Jack, pulling him in closer to kiss his cheek and smile. Daniel had been worried about the wrong things. Jack seemed oblivious to Daniel's fears about their relationship. Daniel drew back and frowned, then shoved Jack off in order to stand, march across the room, and then spin to face Jack.

"I thought you were angry with me," Daniel said. He's spent the whole day fretting that Jack would end their relationship, and now here Jack was with a smile on his face and open arms. This wasn't fair.

"When?" Jack yawned and leaned back with his hands folded in his lap, and one brow raised.

"Today," Daniel said, waving his hands in the air, finding the entire situation maddening. Jack had been angry with him. He'd pushed Daniel away, sent him a break up note, and then refused to allow Daniel to go on the rescue mission. To Daniel, all that added up to angry, not Jack staring up at him sprawled out on Daniel's sofa as though he didn't have a care in the world.

"Oh," Jack said. He tilted his head and both brows went up this time. Jack looked confused, lost, and so very tired to Daniel, especially after Jack stifled another yawn, raising a hand to cover his open mouth.

Daniel paced across the room feeling as though he had to rethink what had happened, that maybe he should leave it alone, or that maybe he should tell Jack to go home. His mind filled with a jumble of maybes. He stopped at the mantle, focusing his eyes on the object Jack had set there.

"Maybe you should read the note," Jack said, breaking into Daniel's thoughts.

Daniel turned and faced Jack. He held the torn note up, wiggling it in the air in an attempt to entice Daniel closer. Daniel narrowed his eyes and swept across the room to sit on the sofa then took the torn envelope from Jack's hand, although he made no move to open it. They stared at each other for a few moments until Jack reached up, plucked the envelope from Daniel's hand, and extracted the two torn strips. Jack unfolded the papers and held them up for Daniel to take.

Daniel reached out and crumpled the note without reading it. "Like you said, it doesn't matter now," Daniel said. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the corner of Jack's mouth.

Jack raised an arm and wrapped it around Daniel's neck, pulling him in closer to nuzzle his cheek. "It's been a while since I've done this stuff, but I think I can find my way around," Jack said. His words shivered through Daniel, and he moaned when Jack brushed his fingers across Daniel's throat, his caresses gentle and slow.

Daniel began to believe it was real and that he'd been foolish to think that Jack's earlier behavior had anything to do with them. Jack wanted to be here with Daniel. It was just different at work, and Daniel needed to accept that was how it would be, that as long as they kept it secret, they could be together.

Jack pulled back and then shifted to push Daniel down across the sofa. In one smooth movement, Jack sprawled out on top of Daniel and shoved his tongue into Daniel's mouth. The kiss was deep and hard and spoke louder than words, and Daniel wrapped his arms around Jack, bucking up against him to show his appreciation of Jack's talent. Already hard and getting harder with each touch, kiss, and stroke, Daniel groped Jack with his hands on Jack's back until Jack pulled back, reaching up to tuck his tags out of sight.

"Shall we take this to the bedroom?" Jack asked. Before Daniel could answer, Jack was pulling away and off the sofa and standing with a flinch, which had him rubbing at his shoulder and neck then stretching with a groan. "We'll both be a lot more comfortable there."

Daniel sat up and took Jack's offered hand to stand in Jack's personal space. Their lips met again, and Jack slid a hand around Daniel's head to hold him in place while Jack kissed him until Daniel's knees got weak. Jack smelled clean, like the soap they used on base. Daniel inhaled the scent, feeling his dick jump at it along with every touch, and sound Jack made. He caressed the front of Jack's pants, encouraging Jack's own passion until a sigh of relief escaped Jack. Daniel swallowed it with another hard kiss and then said, "Sounds like a plan."

Hand in hand, they walked to Daniel's bedroom, closing the door behind them.

End

 

The note.  


art by danceswithgary.

 _D  
Sorry I was such a jerk. Your place tonight?  
J  
Ps: Burn me after reading._


End file.
